Canning Town Old Library Transformation: Building Works in Progress

The new archive store is taking shape! With its exterior walls and supporting structures now complete, this exciting extension will soon house Newham’s extraordinary archive in state-of-the-art conditions. Spanning two floors of specialist storage, it will provide a safe, modern home for the borough’s rich and diverse history.

Located just behind the new reading room, the archive store has been designed for easy access — meaning our brilliant volunteers and archivists can quickly retrieve materials for researchers, students and curious visitors alike. It’s a space built not just for preserving the past, but for sharing it.

And what a collection it will hold! Inside, you’ll find 400,000 objects ranging from historic maps and 30,000 images capturing everyday East London life, to the wonderfully unexpected — including hundreds of Trebor sweets wrappers and original recipes, preserving the sugary heritage of a local favourite.

This exciting project is being delivered by Newham Council in collaboration with award-winning architects Haworth Tompkins.

Click here to hear from Harriet, lead architect on our project.