The newly completed Green Street Library will open on September 28.
The project which is part of the Queen’s Market improvement is funded by Newham Council, the Greater London Authority's Good Growth Fund and the Government's Levelling Up Fund.
The opening of Green Street Library is the final part of a six-year £6.5 million project to regenerate Queen’s Market and the surrounding area, led by Newham Council's Place Making team.
Over 1,600 local people have taken part in the development of the library through working groups, workshops, online surveys, and Minecraft modelling sessions with young people. This process ensured the final design reflects the genuine needs of its users, with feedback directly informing floor layouts and core functions, as well as inspiring the murals across both floors.
The new facility is double the size of the library it replaces and will give residents access to flexible community rooms, Public PC, WIFI, internet access and much more.
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.
“Since 2016, an estimated 190 council-run libraries have shut their doors across the country. Green Street represents a direct challenge to that trend. Rather than scaling back, Newham has invested in maximising the library’s full potential, making it an essential piece of social infrastructure that serves the range of needs that bring local people through its doors, from health and wellbeing to business support.
“In developing and delivering the whole project, we have listened to the voices of our residents including those who live in Hamara Ghar – the over 55’s accommodation which sits above the new library – who wanted a visible and accessible space, and Newham’s young people, who asked for comfortable, safe places to spend time, meet, study and access online services. This will be far from the hushed environment most often associated with libraries it will be a new vibrant hub of community activity and engagement.”
The completed 2-storey library offers spaces for varied activity – from dominoes club to yoga and Zumba – inside a single building. At ground level, the main library and children's library form a series of flexible spaces that can be opened up or closed off from one another as needed.
New full-height windows welcome visitors to the library from the square outside, making the space inviting and accessible.
Upstairs, the first floor has been transformed from a series of windowless storage rooms into a fully glazed, light-filled area running the length of the building. It accommodates a homework space for young people, providing a welcoming and safe environment to study outside the home. This is accompanied by a bookable boardroom and workspace, which supports the variety and depth of businesses on Green Street, serving as a commercial centre for the borough. These income generating spaces help cross-subsidise the library service itself, making the whole operation more financially resilient.
The project has been designed by Office S&M Architects who subcontracted portions of the project spending toward local retailers.
Hugh McEwen, Director at Office S&M Architects, said:
“Our team lives, works, has friends and family in Newham, meaning we are deeply committed to the positive outcome of the largest investment in the area for two decades. Green Street Library shows what's possible when a community is genuinely involved in shaping their own spaces.
“The co-design process changed the way the building looks and operates, based on what local people told us they needed. The same principle runs through how we procure and build, making sure that money circulates locally, meaning the project's value doesn't stop at the front door. A library like this should belong to its neighbourhood in every sense.”
The Green Street Library is the final major project to be delivered through the Queen's Market Good Growth Programme.
The programme, led by Newham’s Place Making team, has delivered:
- Queen’s Market improvements: New energy-efficient lighting throughout Queen's Market, increasing light levels by 150-per cent. Additional power outlets to support traders, events and community activities.
- Public toilets and market office: New market office, with a customer lobby, to better serve the traders and retailers.Improved staff facilities, including showers and accessible toilets, meeting room, and co-working spaces. Four public toilets, including two fully accessible, that are available to market visitors and traders.
- Canopies and signage: New canopies at the front of the market, new signage on top of the canopies, clearly visible from Green Street and on approach from Upton Park station, illuminated after dusk. New signage at the entrance from Rochester Avenue.
- Queen’s Square: Renovation of the public spaces outside the market have introduced more greenery and seating, creating more opportunities for rest, play and cultural events.
- New library & community rooms: New spaces to relocate the Green Street library to, dedicated Children's area, reading, and meeting rooms available, Public PC, WIFI and internet access, bookable meeting rooms and workspace area.
Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning and Regeneration and the Fire Service said:
“Green Street Library is a great example of how investment in local communities can deliver lasting benefits for residents. Through the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, we have worked in partnership with Newham Council to transform Queen’s Market and the surrounding area, creating welcoming public spaces, supporting local traders and providing a modern library and community hub where it is needed on the high street.
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.”
Green Street Library will open its doors to residents on Monday 28 September, marking the completion of the Queen’s Market Good Growth Programme and the start of a new chapter for the heart of Green Street.
Residents will be able to explore the new library, make use of its expanded facilities and find out about the programme of activities, events and services available in the new space. While you’re there, take time to visit Queen’s Market too and discover the improvements delivered across the area through the Programme.
