ENCHANTED LIBRARY

The Enchanted Library is a hidden gem in London’s heart- utilising a once loved site: St. Dunstan’s Church in the East. In the perfect location of a ruin, it contains fantasy stories accumulated from The British Library which are housed in natural shelves. The space leads you through a journey so you can end up in your own ‘happily ever after’. It takes inspiration from fantasy films such as Avatar and books like The Library of Babel. London is famous for its libraries, secret spots and forgotten treasures. Most libraries are very academic and traditional which contain perfect and up-kept books. This project aims to battle book wastage and helps reuse once-loved books. St. Dunstan’s Church is the East is currently a public park containing a ruin. The site has been unoccupied since The Blitz in the Second World War. It is tucked behind renovated and modern buildings on Great Tower Street and it holds memories that deserve to be reborn. The existing bones of the structure need a new life as well as a change in visitors. The old treasure has now been encapsulated by nature, including trees, green, other shrubbery, and wildlife- it adds to the character, history and atmosphere of the site.