A new library has opened in Newham as the final part of a £6.5m six-year project to regenerate the Queen’s Market and surrounding area.
The Green Street Library is twice the size of the previous facility. It will give the community access to computers, free Wi-Fi, communal spaces and a programme of activities.
The library was designed with input from more than 1,600 local people through workshops, online surveys. There were also Minecraft modelling sessions with young people, who used the immersive computer game to help design the space.
Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning and Regeneration said: “Designed with local people and for local people, this new larger space will be a place where residents of all ages can learn, connect and access opportunities, helping to build a fairer and more inclusive London for all.
“The co-design process changed the way the building looks and operates, based on what local people told us they needed.”
The redevelopment scheme was funded by Newham Council, the Greater London Authority’s Good Growth Fund and the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Hugh McEwen, director at office S&M Architects, said: “Green Street Library shows what’s possible when a community is genuinely involved in shaping their own spaces.
The new space will include a main library and a children’s library on the ground floor, as well as areas for community activities such as a dominoes club, yoga and Zumba classes.
Newham Councillor Rohima Rahman said: “I believe a wide range of groups will benefit from the new facility, including children and young people, older residents, jobseekers, families, and those who may not have reliable access to digital services at home.”
The opening comes at a time when libraries across the UK continue to close at a rapid pace. Arts Council England estimates that 276 libraries in England closed without being replaced between 2010 and 2024.
Newham Mayor Forhad Hussain said: “At a time when libraries across England are closing at a rate of nearly twenty a year, the London Borough of Newham is bucking the trend.”
Featured image credit: Arianna Distefano
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