Upper Street Little Library

The project was a community collaboration, with many contributing their time and effort for free. Funding came from Islington Council and school fundraising. The phone box had been derelict for years, leaning due to a nearby London Plane tree and regularly misused. Dominic McKenzie Architects (DMA) was approached by the school’s Family and Staff Association to transform it into a library. Originally designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1924, the listed ‘K2’ phone box required a listed building application for conversion. Scott’s design was inspired by John Soane’s family tomb in St. Pancras Churchyard. The renovation involved straightening the box, replacing scratched acrylic glazing with glass, and repainting with authentic phone box red. DMA’s design carefully respects the K2’s structure, with shelves aligned to the window grid, except for a break to fit taller children's books. The freestanding, removable shelves feature integrated LED lighting, turning the library into a glowing beacon at night, promoting reading to both the school and wider community.