Step off the train, into a library! Warsaw’s Metroteka invites commuters to ditch their phones and rediscover real pages.
Imagine you’re riding the metro, earbuds in, thumb scrolling, when suddenly you step off into a station that isn’t just a stop, but a little library oasis, right there between the rails and the hustle. Well, that’s exactly what the folks in Warsaw have done at the new Metroteka, tucked inside the newly opened station on the M2 line in the Targówek district of Poland’s capital.
What is the Metroteka?
The concept is somehow simultaneously low-key while also being bold and intriguing. Whereas most tube, metro, or subway stations rely solely on shiny digital screens, flashing adverts, or people succumbing to yet more smartphone time, this station offers its travelers something new. It houses around 16,000 books across 150 m², fully separated into reading zones for adults and children, a “borrow a laptop” desk for those who’d rather work than binge, and a chill-out café-style space with hot chocolate to boot.
A bonus: a hydroponic garden wall of fresh herbs and flowers (basil, oregano, nasturtiums, and pansies) right inside the station. It’s not just aesthetic flair, but food for thought (literally and metaphorically), as the library team plans to use it as a conversation piece about sustainability.
A Much-Needed Change
In an era when so many commutes are synonymous with screen time, be that on phones, tablets, or even laptops, the Metroteka takes a gentle “what if we did things differently?” approach. The local library team says the dream is for the space to become “an educational and cultural center, and not just a place where you borrow your books from.”
But it’s not just an effort to combat our generational addiction to our phones; there’s a historical context too. In Poland, the reading culture has been challenged for years. The national survey found that only 41% of respondents in 2024 said they had read at least one book, down from higher figures in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This all comes from the country’s past. Poland lost about 70% of its libraries during the Second World War, meaning that several generations never saw a parent or grandparent in front of a “wall of books” as a normal thing.
So, the Metroteka is more than just décor; it’s a real cultural gesture. Placing a library inside a metro station shows people that reading can be casual, immediate, and accessible. Not behind heavy doors or hushed tones, but part of the rhythm of daily life.
How the Metroteka Works
The logistics are simple: you walk in, pick a book via self-checkout (chips, contactless, smooth), and return it on-site or via a street-level parcel locker that’s open 24/7.
For reading on-site, there are two primary reading zones, plus communal working and studying spaces that include laptops available for borrowing.
And, to make sure the vibe is just right, there’s also the green wall: the hydroponic wall. This means it’s a plant wall but with no soil and no natural sunlight required! It’s decorative, but it’s something special, and it connects to the plans to eventually use the Metroteka as a place to share lessons on food security, sustainability, and climate change.
The vibe as a whole is intentionally welcoming. The deputy director says the location “brings the library closer to busy commuters, both geographically and in terms of time you need to spend on getting the book.” You don’t have to plan in advance, take a detour, waste time, or risk being late to work. Instead, the Metroteka offers a “pop in, toss a book on the self-checkout, and you’re out on a new adventure” kind of experience.
What Are the Benefits?
There are lots of benefits to having a little library on the commute to work. First and foremost, it gives travelers the chance to take a break from screens. Most (if not all) commuters use their phones on their journeys in and out of work because, well, it’s there. It’s easy. With the implementation of Metroteka, there’s another option.
And not only is there another option, but it’s super accessible! It’s literally almost “in the way”, meaning that people who wouldn’t usually choose to visit a library are almost forced into it. If they pick something up, that’s somebody reading who probably wouldn’t have before.
Like any library, the Metroteka is also an area designed for public readings, events, and even tutoring. It is supposed to be a community space, and it provides a reprieve from the busy, impersonal corridors of the metro and the streets of Warsaw, slowing everything down for just a moment.
Finally, of course, there’s the fact that it could help educate and increase the country’s love for reading. With accessible and nearby books, for free, more people are likely to pick one up. That’s a step in the right direction.
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Millie Ramm
Millie has been writing since she was a child, and has spent more time with her nose in books than anywhere else. She has been ghostwriting novels and editing for the past few years, and when not working she is curled up with her cats, looking for her next read.
