Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world war
A
n “express” library has opened in a new metro station in Warsaw, aiming to provide an appealing cultural space to encourage residents and commuters to forgo smartphones in favour of books and, thanks to fresh herbs growing in a vertical garden, a dash of subterranean greenery too.
The stylish Metroteka, which opened this week in the Kondratowicza M2 line metro station in the Polish capital’s Targówek district, offers two reading areas for adults and children, as well as a space for public readings and events.
About 16,000 books are on offer in the 150 sq metre and can be borrowed through an “express” checkout machine using contactless chips. Readers can return them on site or through a street-level parcel locker for books, available 24/7.
