Case Study Visit 02- Idea Store, Whitechapel

David Adjaye’s Idea Store on Whitechapel Road in Whitechapel London, it was completed in 2005 and nominated for the Sterling Prize in 2006; it is a building which despite extensive praise has also faced strong criticisms.

Arriving on Whitechapel Road on the tube you are offered a glimpse of the building as you cross from the platform to the station, on the street itself the building stands out boldly against it’s surroundings and the hectic street market in front. As you approach the building the entrance is not instantly obvious, the external escalators up to the first and second floors do not help to clarify this. Entering the building, users are guided around the building by a series of colour coded signs which refer to rooms such as ‘Learning Labs’ in place of study rooms and ‘Surfing Room’ rather than computer suite. Despite this the building feels awkward to navigate through, the central lifts work fine but staircases are merely escape stairs and are tucked away at the ends of the building.

The building is busy, there are a wide range of activities offered here from children’s ICT clubs and bookclubs to Yoga and Martial Arts. Adjacent to the main library spaces are a series of ‘Learning Labs’ which are relatively generic rooms in which many of these activities occur, furniture can be moved, put away and re-arranged and the blinds can be closed as appropriate. The 5th floor cafe seems to be quiet, although a group of gentlemen having their weekly social meeting there are kind enough to chat to me briefly about the building. They say that the locals enjoy the facilities on offer and it has made a significant impact in terms of increasing the number of library users; but they agree that it’s not without fault. They agree with Roger Stephenson (Stephenson, 2005) that the interior of the building is not as elegant as the outside suggests, they remark that it looks ‘unfinished’ and they agree with the common complaint that the building is difficult to navigate.

It is difficult to decided whether this building is a success or not. With regards to the architecture, possibly not as successful as it seems; whilst a visually striking and interesting building the interior spaces do not reflect the quality of the exterior language. However, as a public building, as a means of increasing library user numbers and a means of encouraging people to learn and interact with their community then it can be regarded as a success and there are lessons to be learnt here with regards to my proposal.