Upper Norwood Library Hub rents out seven spaces for training, workshops, meetings, receptions, parties and filming, from a studio for five people to the Burgundy Room for 100 standing or 60 seated. The hub occupies the public library at 39 Westow Hill, London SE19, at the top of Crystal Palace.
Seminars and company events
The Teal Room is the meeting room of the building, set up for classes, workshops, training sessions, meetings and presentations, with 16 seated or 30 standing. A larger training day or an all-hands meeting moves to the Burgundy Room, which seats 60. Wi-Fi, a projector, a whiteboard and a kitchen are available, so a half-day session with coffee and a sandwich lunch works without outside equipment. The Studio, for one to five people, suits coaching, interviews or a small working session. Regular hire is discounted across all spaces, which helps a company or a training provider that books the same room every week.
Weddings and receptions
The hub lists receptions, celebrations and parties among the uses of its rooms, and party packages are offered with the Burgundy Room. Weddings are not offered as such, and the spaces cannot be hired for any form of religious worship. Weekend children's parties have their own morning and afternoon slots on Saturdays and Sundays.
Rooms and capacities
The Burgundy Room takes 60 seated or 100 standing and is used for large events, celebrations, classes and rehearsals. The Teal Room takes 16 seated or 30 standing. Four library spaces open for hire outside library hours only: the Study Area, 35 in theatre style or standing and 20 at tables, which can be combined with the Burgundy Room; the Cafe Space, 60 in theatre style or standing and 30 at tables, suited to small performances; the Middle Library, 30 standing and 15 at tables; and the Children's Library, 35 standing and 30 at tables. The Cafe Space can be combined with the library rooms for a larger reception. The Studio takes one to five people.
Catering
The hub has a kitchen but does not run its own catering. Organizers bring food and drink or use an outside caterer, and for children's parties hirers provide their own refreshments, entertainment and decorations.
History and setting
Upper Norwood Library was founded in 1906 by Lambeth and Croydon councils, an early case of two boroughs running a service together, formalized in an agreement of 1994. The Upper Norwood Library Trust, a registered charity, was set up in 2012 and has managed the hub since 2016. Lambeth Council delivers the library service, co-funded by Croydon, and room hire income supports the work of the trust. Booking here puts money back into a local institution.
Getting there
Westow Hill runs through the Crystal Palace Triangle, with shops, cafes and bus routes close by. Crystal Palace and Gipsy Hill stations, served by London Overground and Southern trains, are within walking distance. The building has lift access, so all floors are reachable for guests with reduced mobility.
