BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
In Warsaw’s Targówek district, a metro ride has become more than a daily routine. Now it offers a chance to escape into a story. Thanks to Metroteka, a newly opened subterranean library inside the Kondratowicza M2 metro station, commuters can now trade mindless scrolling for meaningful reading.
The 150-square-meter space is stocked with more than 16,000 books, all available through a fast self-checkout system. Visitors can also borrow laptops, sip complimentary coffee, and unwind in a cozy communal area, all while waiting for their train.
“Our dream is for Metroteka to become an educational and cultural center, and not just a place where you can borrow your books from,” says Grażyna Strzelczak-Batkowska, deputy director of the Targówek library.
A modern space that breathes life into books
Metroteka’s design is as inviting as its mission. A lush hydroponic garden wall filled with herbs and flowers gives the underground space a breath of fresh air, literally. Basil, oregano, and other plants grow without soil or sunlight, infusing the library with an unexpected sense of vitality. The bookshelves, shaped like soft, undulating waves, add to the organic feel.
“I always joke that books are not made of glass,” Strzelczak-Batkowska says. “You can just pop in, grab a few, throw them on a self-checkout machine, and that’s it—you’re out on a new adventure.”
Aiming to reverse a national trend
Poland’s reading habits have been in steady decline for years. A 2024 survey by the National Library of Poland found that only 41 percent of respondents had read at least one book in the past year. According to Tomasz Makowski, director of the National Library, the legacy of war has shaped these numbers. During World War II, Poland lost 70 percent of its libraries.
“We had several generations that did not see their parents or grandparents in front of a wall of books,” Makowski says. “Reading is [also] not something associated with adulthood, but with schools, teachers, librarians, and usually mothers reading to children.”
By placing literature in the path of everyday commuters, Metroteka hopes to shift that cultural perception.
An open invitation to all
For Makowski, the location is just as important as the books. “Opening a library in a metro station is like a dream for us,” he says. “Libraries should be beautiful and open; inviting, not intimidating. It’s not a shrine, but a place where you can spend time freely, take part in discussions, public consultations, or meet people.”
In the coming months, Metroteka plans to host author readings, workshops, and classes to further engage the community. Books can be returned either directly to the library or via parcel lockers outside the station, available around the clock.
As commuters pass through Kondratowicza station with coffee in hand and a novel tucked under one arm, Metroteka quietly transforms daily routines into cultural moments. By meeting people where they are, literally underground, the library isn’t just promoting reading. It’s redefining what public space can offer.
