Book stop project back in Intramuros

Passersby stop for a quick read at the Book Stop (WTA Architecture + Design Studio)

Got nothing to read?

The Book Stop is open again to the public starting Feb. 17. In a recent Facebook post, the The Book Stop project revealed that it will now have a permanent fixture in Plaza Roma, Intramuros in Manila.

Open for 24 hours, the Book Stop is a pop-up library where readers and passersby can borrow, donate and exchange literary and academic books to their liking. In lieu of the on-going pandemic, the administration is following a “No mask, no entry” rule.

In a Facebook post, they listed a set of health protocols everyone should observe, such as social distancing and proper hygiene.

Initially a project by WTA Architecture + Design Studio in 2016, the mobile library has travelled in several spots in Metro Manila including Ayala Triangle Gardens where it was first installed, Bonifacio High street in Taguig, Plaza del Carmen in front of San Sebastian Church, and Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

In an interview with The Varsitarian in 2017, William Ti Jr., one of the project heads of the Book Stop, envisioned the project to create a reading community, especially to street children.

“You might also have parents who are reading for you when you were younger, but [street children] didn’t... So imagine the kind of change that is being introduced into their lives,” he said.

Since its establishment, it has garnered two international awards such as the People’s and Jury’s awards in the Architizer Award in New York. It was also a shortlist in the World Architecture Festival in Berlin​, where it was nominated as World Building for the year 2016.