Idea Store
Faced with the task of designing a public institution for the 21st century, architect David Adjaye turned his back on solid Victorian monumentality. He housed the 'Idea store' - a new concept for a combined library, community centre and youth centre - in a fully glazed building that radiates openness and at the same time seeks to connect quite specifically with its East End surroundings. The blue and green stripes in the façade allude to the neighbourhood's market stalls, while a pedestrian walkway along the east façade of the building leads to the local supermarket and makes the building an integral part of the local shopping route. Although critics mutter darkly about the degradation of a learning centre into an 'IKEA store', this low-threshold architecture has resulted in very high visitor numbers.
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