The recent acclaim of TikTok-trainspotting star Francis Bourgeois has given the trainspotting subculture a surge in popularity. The Trainspotter’s Library at Acton Main Line houses a collection of books, maps, photographs, and other design artefacts that hold value within British train culture, while also providing space for train enthusiasts to experience the rush of passing trains.

Buildings are most sustainable when they exist for long periods of time. This informs the material strategy of the library, contrasting that of the newly built Acton Mainline Station. The Bath stone façade, cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure and aluminium roof reference nostalgic elements of the railway infrastructure, with their familiarity offering comfort to railway-loving enthusiasts.

The library overlooks the railway to the north and creates a new public plaza to the south. A viewing colonnade provides platform-level views of passing trains, and the ground floor shop allows for the rental of photographic equipment, enabling their documentation. On the ground and first floors, reading rooms, viewing nooks and book stacks lie around a central void that overlooks the gallery in the basement.