By . Hugo Gye . The smallest library in the world has appeared on the streets of New York City - and it has space for just one reader at a time. The bright yellow plastic structure houses 40 books and aims to help city-dwellers take a break from the pace of life in the metropolis by chilling out with a good story. The Little Free Library was designed by a pair of innovative architects using recycled materials to protect the books inside from the elements. Intriguing: A visitor peers in through the side of the world's smallest library, located in Manhattan . Ducking in: The structure, made from an old water tank, has enough space to fit one reader . Collection: A reader browses through the 40 books held by the Little Free Library in Nolita . It was constructed from a plastic water tank and a wooden frame, with holes in the exterior allowing visitors to look in before they enter the structure. Venezuelan architects Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente said the library creates an 'inhabitable' environment which immerses its users in the experience of browsing and reading books. The library in Manhattan's Nolita neighbourhood has attracted a great deal of interest since it was installed last month. 'The Little Free Library idea was originated about three years ago and rapidly started spreading throughout the country and also popping up in some areas of Europe, Africa and India,' Mr Ertorteguy said. 'It remains a mystery how New York City was one of the very few cities in the country with no libraries.' Bizarre: The library looks strikingly different from traditional buildings used to house books . Project: The structure is one of 5,000 Free Lending Libraries around the U.S. and the world . Design: The architects have spoken of their desire to give New Yorkers a chance to withdraw from the city . The Manhattan library had its origins in a project set up by the Architectural League of New York in association with Pen World Voices Festival, and will remain in place until September. Mr Ertorteguy added: 'We have a big interest to work recycling materials, but what we find much more interesting is to give materials, or objects, new functions. 'For the Little Free Library we wanted to find the perfect object to re-purpose, one that could not only shelter the books from the weather but also one that a person could inhabit - the water tank suited perfectly, the rest was just resolving how to hold it up. 'With the library we wanted to create a place where to slow down, a pocket in New York City's streets where to have the moment to partially isolate from the surroundings and get immersed into another world  - the world of the book you pick.' Surprise: The funky-looking structure has prompted a great deal of attention from New Yorkers . Tight squeeze: Two people can just about fit in to the structure but cannot move around inside . Neighbourhood: The library is located outside a school in the trendy Nolita district of Manhattan . There are currently more than 5,000 Little Free Libraries across the U.S. and internationally, but most are nothing more than outdoor bookshelves which cannot accommodate readers inside. The project is intended to give everyone access to reading material even if they live in areas which are not served by public libraries.
Little Free Library in Nolita neighbourhood lends collection of books out .
Innovative structure was made from recycled water tank .
By . Hugo Gye . The smallest library in the world has appeared on the streets of New York City - and it has space for just one reader at a time. The bright yellow plastic structure houses 40 books and aims to help city-dwellers take a break from the pace of life in the metropolis by chilling out with a good story. The Little Free Library was designed by a pair of innovative architects using recycled materials to protect the books inside from the elements. Intriguing: A visitor peers in through the side of the world's smallest library, located in Manhattan . Ducking in: The structure, made from an old water tank, has enough space to fit one reader . Collection: A reader browses through the 40 books held by the Little Free Library in Nolita . It was constructed from a plastic water tank and a wooden frame, with holes in the exterior allowing visitors to look in before they enter the structure. Venezuelan architects Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente said the library creates an 'inhabitable' environment which immerses its users in the experience of browsing and reading books. The library in Manhattan's Nolita neighbourhood has attracted a great deal of interest since it was installed last month. 'The Little Free Library idea was originated about three years ago and rapidly started spreading throughout the country and also popping up in some areas of Europe, Africa and India,' Mr Ertorteguy said. 'It remains a mystery how New York City was one of the very few cities in the country with no libraries.' Bizarre: The library looks strikingly different from traditional buildings used to house books . Project: The structure is one of 5,000 Free Lending Libraries around the U.S. and the world . Design: The architects have spoken of their desire to give New Yorkers a chance to withdraw from the city . The Manhattan library had its origins in a project set up by the Architectural League of New York in association with Pen World Voices Festival, and will remain in place until September. Mr Ertorteguy added: 'We have a big interest to work recycling materials, but what we find much more interesting is to give materials, or objects, new functions. 'For the Little Free Library we wanted to find the perfect object to re-purpose, one that could not only shelter the books from the weather but also one that a person could inhabit - the water tank suited perfectly, the rest was just resolving how to hold it up. 'With the library we wanted to create a place where to slow down, a pocket in New York City's streets where to have the moment to partially isolate from the surroundings and get immersed into another world  - the world of the book you pick.' Surprise: The funky-looking structure has prompted a great deal of attention from New Yorkers . Tight squeeze: Two people can just about fit in to the structure but cannot move around inside . Neighbourhood: The library is located outside a school in the trendy Nolita district of Manhattan . There are currently more than 5,000 Little Free Libraries across the U.S. and internationally, but most are nothing more than outdoor bookshelves which cannot accommodate readers inside. The project is intended to give everyone access to reading material even if they live in areas which are not served by public libraries.
in: The structure, made from an old water tank, Little Free Library in Nolita . It was