The Reading Room
Location
Wells
Year
2024
Scope
Neighbourhood reading space
Daylight, a long table and a generous threshold shape a small place to gather.
Materials
Oak, ash, travertine
Open to the neighbourhood
The reading room is organised around one shared table. Shelves form a quiet edge, while the glazed garden side connects the room to a tree and the changing light outside.
A useful generosity
The timber ceiling gives the modest volume a clear rhythm. Furniture can be moved for a conversation or a small gathering without changing the architecture of the room.
Materials were chosen for frequent use: solid timber where hands meet the building, and a robust stone floor. The detail is deliberately unshowy, supporting the life of the space rather than competing with it.
