Pods of delight

So in the end, the form of the building is extraordinary but by no means irrelevant. The big overhang faces south, for instance, shading the façade as well as providing cover for the plaza beneath: the architects would like to see market stalls spring up here. This means that the coloured-glass façade sensibly faces north, where it won't heat up like a greenhouse. In fact there is only one thing that the place lacks to be truly successful as a cultural rendezvous, and that is a rooftop café to exploit the unrivalled views of London. If Southwark has any sense, it will find the money for that sooner rather than later.

For Alsop - who is in the slightly awkward position of being too young and "difficult" to be a big Establishment name, but too old to be considered a bright young rising star - the Peckham Library should pay dividends. It is not just clever, it is assured, mature. It is well thought through, from first to last, and