Peckham Library
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Peckham Library is a library and community building situated in Peckham in south-east London, United Kingdom. It was designed by Alsop and Störmer,<ref name="e-architect">Peckham Library : Architecture Information, e-architect.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-12.</ref> engineered by AKT II and won the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2000.<ref name="OU">Peckham Library & Media Centre, Open University website. Retrieved 2011-11-12.</ref>
It is a striking building best imagined as an inverted capital letter 'L', with the upper part supported by thin steel pillars set at apparently random angles. The exterior is clad with pre-patinated copper.<ref name="e-architect" /><ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>
The Stirling Prize judges were impressed with the building's approach. Alsop has taken the plan footprint of a conventional library and elevated it to create a public space beneath the building and to remove the quiet reading space from street level noise. The remaining, supporting buildings on the ground and 1st floors house the information and media centre.Template:Citation needed The building has five floors in total, with the library service taking up the fourth floor.<ref name=":0" />
The library opened to the public on 8 March 2000, with an official opening by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Smith, on 15 May 2000.
The building attracted 500,000 visitors in its first year of opening in the wake of its receipt of the prize. This dropped to approximately 420,000 for 2006.Template:Citation needed
Template:Ill, a student service centre building at the RWTH Aachen in Germany was built in 2006, which has been compared to Peckham Library with a similar L design.Template:Citation needed
ImagesEdit
- 2005-07-11 - United Kingdom - England - London - Peckham - Peckham Library.jpg
The north facing rear facade of the building.
- Peckham library exterior 1.jpg
Exterior
- Peckham library columns.jpg
View showing the diagonal columns
- Peckham library meeting room lights.jpg
Interior view of meeting room pod
- Peckham library pod underside.jpg
Main library space
- Peckham library pod underside2.jpg
Main library space
- Peckham library central pod.jpg
View of central pod
- SuperC RWTH Aachen - 26.03.2017.jpg
Similarly shaped building named Template:Ill at RWTH Aachen, Germany
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Peckham Library on Southwark Council site
- Peckham Library & Media Centre architecture page on Open University site
- Peckham Library, London, UK guide on BBC h2g2 site