Bookstore Guide: Panta Rhei, Madrid

Where? Madrid, Spain

Recommended by Ingrid

Panta Rhei is a specialized bookstore dedicated to the visual arts with emphasis on contemporary culture, graphic design, digital advertising, latest exhibition catalogs, fashion books, special editions, and illustrated children's books along with a gallery specializing in drawing and illustration.

This bookstore is owned by two sisters, Lilo and Ingrid, and their two little four-legged companions, their dogs Frola and Gruby. It started off as a dream of Lilo and Ingrid - for quite some time they had been toying with the idea of opening a bookstore. Not many people are lucky or bold enough to realize their dreams but to these two sisters, the dream came true when in the year 2000 they opened their bookstore (located in Pelayo Street at the time). As it usually happens with small spaces and books, the latter outgrow the former and thus Panta Rhei needed to move to new premises in 2005. And that is their current location, in Calle Hernan Cortes at the very heart of Madrid (in Chueca neighborhood).

So, over the span of just a little over a decade, Panta Rhei has managed to establish itself in Madrid (and the whole of Spain) and it should certainly be the spot when in need of an artsy book. Lilo and Ingrid take very good care of their books and they make sure you find what you are looking for. After all, in today's conditions, with huge chains taking over, independent bookselling is exactly about this - taking care of your customers and going the extra mile for them.