The Library Building | Studio Egret West

The Library Building, Clapham is a mixed use scheme including 136 apartments, a 15 doctor health centre and a new public library. 

It is the result of a Public Private Partnership between London Borough of Lambeth and Cathedral Group. The 12 storey building is formed by a series of curved, white stone volumes which are articulated to break down the overall mass and soften their visual impact on the high street whilst providing an important marker for the community services within the building.

The exterior of the building is designed to be elegant and unobtrusive. Although the form of the building is unique, the colouring has been kept purposefully low key. 

Cladding reinforces the form of the building, but also gives it a texture that will become more interesting the closer it is viewed.  The Library has been designed as a distinctive public building with a well-defined identity that sits underneath a discreet, private building of desirable homes above. 

The Library embodies an audacious spiral design of seamlessly connected spaces. The openness and flexibility of the central space allows it to be transformed into a performance area, where the open spiral ramp offers visitors a great view of any performance.

The spiral represents a path of seamless learning, which connects the multifunctional building in a way that has not been seen before. On entering, it is immediately apparent where all the various elements of the building are located with the ramp spiralling up towards the reading room and down towards the children’s library.