Culture
Pop-Up Libraries Are Helping Melbourne Move on From Lockdowns
Australia’s cultural capital is trying different ways to lure workers and visitors back downtown following one of the world’s toughest lockdowns.
A pop-up library in Melbourne.
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/BloombergMelbourne, one of the world’s most locked-down cities during the pandemic, is rejuvenating its center and healing its jaded residents — one page at a time.
Small pop-up libraries have taken over abandoned shops in areas that were aching for some love following the crippling impact of six lockdowns over 19 months. Where a mens’ retailer once stood in the boutique clothing and cafe mecca of Little Collins Street, changing rooms have been transformed into cozy mirrored reading booths.