Revisiting Swiss at Sixty

Swiss Cottage Library is a landmark library designed by renowned architect Sir Basil Spence and is considered one of the most ambitious library designs in the UK and as one of Spence’s most accomplished civic buildings. Swiss Cottage Library is one of Camden Council’s nine public libraries. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on November 10th, 1964.

In 1997 English Heritage gave the library a Grade II listing. Over the past sixty years it has welcomed countless people from the local community to come and borrow a book, to read the paper, to revise for exams, or simply to be in the space. It has hosted exhibitions, arts and literacy groups and many more. People have brought their young children to the children’s library; those children have grown up and now bring their own children. Researchers have used the archives that were once housed there and people still come from far afield just to look at the building.
 
The last 60 years have seen changes in how the library functions from the old hand stamped books to contactless borrowing and the rise of digital borrowing. There was once a record library where borrowers could find LPs. Where once absolute silence was the rule, now noise is permitted including a piano in the entrance area! There have been several re-designs internally, notably with the children’s library redesigned by Jan Kattein Architects. A £3.7m low carbon retrofit in 2023 has made the library much more energy efficient to meet the challenges of global warming.