OXFORD STREET: A PLACE OF KNOWLEDGE & EXCHANGE

For the first time in its history, Oxford Street has taken a breath. With footfall unlikely to return to pre-covid levels, the high-street needs to be reimagined. The street is currently made up of a tightly woven thread of retail and entertainment that’s beginning to fray. In order to strengthen the thread, this thesis project looks to weave a new educational strand. Whilst the number of vacant retail units on Oxford Street increases day by day, so does the massive collection of books and papers held by the British Library in off-site warehouses. A finite space with infinite amounts of material coming in. This wealth of knowledge should be celebrated and be part of our high streets to encourage knowledge and exchange. By deconstructing the standard holistic library typology whereby each and every subject matter is crammed into one building, this thesis reimagines a new typology whereby libraries are specialised in one particular subject area with Oxford Street becoming a stage for this to play out. Vacant units become a series of discrete libraries specialising in everything from 18th century literature to gardening. As Oxford Street sheds its layers of consumerism, a new skin can form.