Now we are ten!

Two iconic buildings in Southwark - Tate Modern and Peckham Library - are celebrating their tenth birthday this month.

The Tate Modern is a huge success as a free and contemporary art gallery.

Peckham Library, designed by Alsop and Stormer architects and officially opened on 15 May 2000, is the borough's social and learning hub.

Background to Peckham Library

The library has been a huge success since it was officially opened in May 2000 by the Rt Hon Chris Smith, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, both in terms of garnering architectural awards, it won the Stirling Prize in 2000, and in terms of visitor numbers - over four million people have passed through its doors over the last ten years.

Since the library opened the public have borrowed over 2.7 million items from it, with at least 200,000 items being lent every year.  

Ten things you didn't know about Peckham Library

• the design is based on a large inverted upper case L
• the library building has won many awards including the Riba Stirling Prize, Civic Trust Award and the Copper Cladding Awards
• Peckham Library has had visitors from all over the world, most recently a group from a South Korean 24 hr news channel
• the library contains three 'pods', which are "suspended" above the main library space. They are used as additional study space, hired out to local community groups and for library events 
• the library has over 400,000 visitors a year
• Singer songwriter Newton Faulkner shot his latest video at Peckham Library
• on the third Thursday of every month it hosts a Manga club for teenagers interested in the popular graphic novel series
• over ten different local schools and nurseries visit the library every week
• many famous authors have visited the library, including Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen and Andrea Levy
• last year the wifi service was used for a total of 31,383 hours, three minutes and seven seconds.