Southmere Village Library

INVITED COMPETITION SCHEME FOR A NEW Library within the Community: Showcasing the Talents of Thamesmead

Thamesmead has long been known for the ambition of its founding and the boldness of its architecture. Yet the everyday lives and talents of those who live there have often been overlooked. Architecture00’s proposal conceived Southmere Village Library as a platform to celebrate these communities - past, present, and future - by providing a civic heart that is inclusive, flexible, and deeply connected to place.

The library was designed not only as a vital amenity but also as a striking piece of public architecture - an anchor for Southmere Village and a showcase for Thamesmead’s cultural, educational, and community organisations.

Client: Peabody

Location: Thamesmead

Scale: 2500sqm

The Library

At its centre sits the “Room for Thamesmead” - a large, open, column-free space with capacity for up to 400 people. This highly flexible hall accommodates library uses while also enabling civic and cultural events, establishing the library as a gathering place for the whole community.

Surrounding this space are smaller, more intimate library, reading, and working spaces. These outward-facing rooms animate the building’s edges, avoiding defensive façades and ensuring invitational and accessible signalling. Terraces extend from key spaces, offering amenity and expansive views across the lake, the new square, and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Beyond the Library

The upper floor provides adaptable accommodation for a mix of uses, maintaining visual connections to the library below.

On the roof, a highly visible multi-use games area brings activity and a sense of community ownership to the building.

At ground level, the structure is raised to create an external covered area, extending the public realm from the square to the lake. This area enables the building to shelter covered farmer markets, performances, events and exhibitions.

By combining places for reading, learning, making, gathering, and play, Southmere Village Library was envisioned as more than a building. It was designed as a civic landmark and a living showcase for the creativity and resilience of Thamesmead’s communities.

Architecture00 have a long-standing history of delivering vital community amenities in Southmere, including Southmere Boat Club and The Lakeside Centre.