Brooke Somogyi

Interior Design, 2017

Located at 540 W Broad Street, Books on Broad is more than just a used bookstore and café. The program aims to promote community pride, extend education, and promote life-long learning through literature. The program fosters a sense of community around literature in an area where literacy rates and graduation rates are rather low. The design of the interior space cultivates a sense of wonder and curiosity with the large inhabitable bookshelf. This two-story bookshelf can be seen from the street and draws visitors in. The stairs are wrapped around the shelf, which allows guests to feel as if they are “entering” the bookshelf and truly being immersed in a world of literature. It will encourage reading to residents of all ages by offering thousands of books at very low prices. The program includes a cafe and seating area, a children’s area, four reservable private meeting spaces, a large community meeting area, an outdoor terrace, and quiet reading spaces.

Brooke Somogyi is graduating in May with a Bachelor’s of Science in Interior Design. She is currently interning with Ten Penny Design in downtown Columbus. After graduation, she plans to stay in Columbus and work with an interior design or architecture firm, preferably specializing in hospitality or retail design. She is excited to start her professional journey with the knowledge she has gained from Ohio State’s program.