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How Will It Work
Preliminary drawings of the library floor plans are available on this website to give an idea of how the library will look on the inside. Please note the furniture layout on all these plans is indicative only.
The shape
The footprint of the building starts small and then expands outwards with every floor. This allows us to maximise the potential space of the plaza and fit many more facilities than the footprint will allow. The western edge of the building is defined by the existing tube exit, which is incorporated into the building form. The section of the building arises from providing two major public floors interspersed with two subservient floors, one for staff accommodation, and the other mezzanine level for meeting and study rooms.
The resultant form has walls at two different angles. The steeper slope of 50 degrees prevents solar gain to the east and south facing windows over Canada Water and responds to the need for raked seating in the performance space and parts of the library itself.
The Ground Floor
The entrance and café at the ground floor are designed to be open for extended hours, with the external glazing allowing visibility throughout the day and night. A large flexible, double height community performance space with large doors opening onto the plaza is also on the ground floor and connects closely with the design of the plaza. This space will have a sprung floor and will be available for use as a performance space and also for hire for activities such as community meetings with the seating designed to be folded back to allow for more room. This floor will also provide space for 500 popular books, access to IT and self-service facilities. The café will have views over Canada Water.
The Staff Floor
The staff facilities are located on a mezzanine level between the ground floor and the library level and are not accessible or visible to the public. They will include staff offices, kitchen and storage facilities.
The Library Floor
The route to the library is clearly defined by the open staircase sweeping straight from the ground floor (opposite the main entrance to the first floor). The library floor is double height with a gallery around the upper level, penetrated by skylights. This floor will be very flexible in space to allow flexibility according to user need. The plans allow for large adult and children sections as well as an under-fives messy area. The audio and periodical areas will also be housed on this floor. There will also be a buggy park area and ICT facilities.
The Gallery Floor
At the gallery level there are meeting rooms and learning facility classrooms that look out over Canada Water. There will also be further study desks looking into the library below, throughout the gallery. This will be a quieter area where people can study or sit and read, away from the busy activity of the main library floor.
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