Snohetta Book Pavilion

The Snohetta Book Pavilion has been designed by the pioneering architectural practice, on behalf of British Land, for the 2018 London Design Festival. Just a 15-minute walk from Oxford Street, this permanent installation is located at 2 Kingdom Street in the Paddington Central area of London. It’s an innovative structure where people can swap and exchange books as well as view artwork.

LWL fabricated the mechanical steel structure for the pavilion which includes a semi-circular rotating bookcase and a half moon seating bench. There are also movable display boards for showing information and artwork; each of which rotates independently around a central column making interesting kinetic elements in themselves.

Patinated and perforated brass was chosen for the half-drum revolving walls because it’s reflective of the traditional use of copper for clockwork mechanisms. These can each be rotated 360 degrees providing a flexible, ever-changing space for people to interact with and enjoy; allowing for the creation of secluded or more open areas depending on how the semi-circular walls are placed by individual users.