ARBO Reads: Why we wanted to start a Micro Library

In an increasing digital world, we are losing out on calm spaces for reflection and thinking. This absence or disappearance of reading nook / corners or gatherings which creates a sense of community is fuelling our desire to start our first Micro Library in our neighbourhood. We want these spaces to invite us to slow down and not just to buy books, but to pause and breathe.

ARBO Reads is our way of imagining such spaces — small, open, and human-scaled. Each ARBO Reads nook will be a simple space — a bunch of shelfs, a corner nook or a multi-level vertical book space — where books can live freely.

We want these spaces to feel informal — the kind where you can pick up a book while sipping homemade coffee / chai, or leave behind one that moved you deeply. Spaces where neighbors meet by chance, where a child discovers a story, or someone finds comfort in a poem on a quiet afternoon.

Right now, ARBO Reads is still taking shape — a handful of sketches, a few shelves, and a growing list of books waiting to find new homes. We’re exploring collaborations with schools, cafés, and community spaces to host the first few libraries.

We don’t have a fixed model yet, and that’s intentional. We want each ARBO Reads nook to evolve naturally — guided by the people who use it.

Our hope is simple: to make reading visible again. To remind people that even in a world full of screens, there’s something irreplaceable about the weight of a real book in your hand — the smell of paper, the slow unfolding of thought, the quiet companionship of words.

This blog will document our process — the design explorations, the spaces we find, the books that travel between hands, and the people who make it possible. We’ll share stories from each ARBO Reads corner — of how they grow, how they are used, and what they mean to the communities around them.

If you’re someone who loves books, believes in slow living, or simply wants to see small changes in your neighborhood — we’d love for you to be part of this. If you have some books to donate or some suggestions, then do write to us at architecture.arbo1@gmail.com

The Atelier ARBO Team