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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Marx, Bram Stoker and Lenin were all devotees of what is perhaps the most famous quiet space in Britain, the reading room of the British Museum. After being closed for nearly five years it will re-open briefly but instead of silence it will, as part of a unique music festival, host a concert of Gyorgy Ligeti's symphonic poem for 100 metronomes.

The reading room's long term future is still uncertain but its role as a haven for silent contemplation looks to be over and it's not the only place. Our Arts Correspondent, David Sillito reports on the future of silence.

(Image: Reading room at the British Museum. Credit: Trustees of the British Museum)