Peckham Library

{{Short description|Library in Peckham, London}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=November 2011}}

{{Infobox library/wikidata

| established = {{Start date and age|2000|03|08|df=y}}

| location = Peckham, London, England

| coordinates = {{coord|51.47433|-0.06930|format=dms|type:landmark_region:GB-SWK|display=inline,title}}

| type = Public Library

| part_of = Southwark Libraries

| website = https://www.southwark.gov.uk/libraries

}}Image:DSCN4087.JPG

Peckham Library is a library and community building situated in Peckham in south-east London, United Kingdom. It was designed by Alsop and Störmer,[http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/peckham_library.htm Peckham Library : Architecture Information], e-architect.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-12. engineered by AKT II and won the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2000.[http://www.open2.net/modernity/3_18.htm Peckham Library & Media Centre], Open University website. Retrieved 2011-11-12.

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.{{Cite book |last=Thornton |first=Victoria |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/800851973 |title=Open house London : an exclusive glimpse inside 100 of the most extraordinary buildings in London |date=2012 |publisher=Ebury |isbn=978-0-09-194362-2 |location=London |pages=182–183 |oclc=800851973}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}} The building has five floors in total, with the library service taking up the fourth floor.

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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

{{ill|SuperC (Aachen)|de|SuperC|lt=SuperC}}, 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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}