Rosendale Library School Bus Forge Architects
 

Rosendale Library School Bus

 

Type: Community

Size: Bus sized

Location: Lambeth

Status: Complete

Client: Rosendale School

Collaborators: Kate Gorely, friends and the Parents of Rosendale School

Due to lack of space in the existing Victorian Primary School one of the parents suggested a new library bus space to replace the previous library in a corridor with books stored in cardboard boxes. Having given a small amount of money to acquire the bus, parents and volunteers’ donated time and materials to take the bus apart and put back together based on our simple ideas of occupying the ground floor deck around existing seats, new work tops, the Librarian in the driving seat whilst opening up the top deck with informal bean bags and new perimeter shelving to accommodate larger reading groups. Artists also provided a new mural and London Transport Graphics.

The bus was completed over only a few months and opened by Sir Michael Morpurgo in front of the whole school and even inspired his animation for the London Olympics. The bus continues to provide books and reading /performance space for parents and their children visiting the school.