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Library of Birmingham

Coordinates: 52°28′47″N 1°54′30″W / 52.47972°N 1.90833°W / 52.47972; -1.90833
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Library of Birmingham
The library under construction in March 2012
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeLibrary
Architectural style
LocationCentenary Square
AddressBroad Street
Town or cityBirmingham
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates52°28′47″N 1°54′30″W / 52.47972°N 1.90833°W / 52.47972; -1.90833
Elevation144m AOD
Construction started7 January 2010
CompletedApril 2013
Opened3 September 2013 (2013-09-03)
Cost£188.8 million[1]
ClientBirmingham City Council
Height
Height60 metres (200 ft)[2]
Top floor9 (Shakespeare Memorial Room)
Technical details
Floor count10 (OG) 1 (UG)
Floor area20,798m2 (plus 6,804m2 shared with the REP)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Francine Houben
Architecture firmMecanoo architecten
Structural engineerBuro Happold
Main contractor

The Library of Birmingham is a public library in the city centre of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the west side of the city centre at Centenary Square beside the Birmingham Rep (to which it connects, and with which it shares some facilities) and Baskerville House. It replaced the already closed Birmingham Central Library upon opening on 3 September 2013. It is estimated the library cost £188.8 million[3] and is seen by Birmingham City Council as a flagship project for the Redevelopment of Birmingham. It has been described as the largest public library in the United Kingdom and the largest public cultural space in Europe[4][5][6] and the biggest regional library in Europe.[7]

Origins

Birmingham City Council looked into relocating the library for many years. The original plan was to build a new library in the emerging Eastside district,[8] which had been opened up to the city centre following the demolition of Masshouse Circus.[9] A library was designed by Richard Rogers on a site in the area. However, for financial reasons and reservations about the location this plan was shelved. The Council suggested that the Library be split between a new building built between the Rep theatre and Baskerville House at Centenary Square, which until 2009 was a public car park (to house the main lending library) and a building at Millennium Point in "Eastside" (to house the archives and special collections).

In August 2006, the Council confirmed the area between the Rep and Baskerville House as the future site for the library. Capita Symonds had been appointed as Project Managers for the Library of Birmingham. The council's intention was to create a "world class" landmark civic building in Centenary Square.[10] Not long after this, the two-sites idea was scrapped and the archives and special collections will move to the site at Centenary Square.[11][12]

After an international design competition, run by the Royal Institute of British Architects, a shortlist of seven architects was announced on 27 March 2008. They were chosen from a list of over 100 architects. The architects chosen were: Foreign Office Architects, Foster and Partners, Hopkins Architects, Mecanoo, OMA, Schmidt hammer lassen and Wilkinson Eyre.[13]

In early August 2008, Mecanoo and multi-discipline engineers, Buro Happold, were announced as the winner of the design competition.[14] More detailed plans for the library were revealed by the council in conjunction with the architects at a launch event held on 2 April 2009.

Reception

The façade of the Library

Reaction to the planned library was generally positive. Then-Poet Laureate Andrew Motion said that "These plans are properly ambitious to preserve the best traditional practice, while also opening the building to new ideas about what a library should be – the heart of the community, fulfilling all manner of social needs as well as scholarly, research-based and pleasurable ones." Philip Pullman said "The new Library of Birmingham sounds as if it will be lovely and should attract even more users than the present one with its impressive visitor total of 5,000 a day." Sir Alan Ayckbourn said "I wholeheartedly support the proposed exciting new plans to develop the new Birmingham library" and Irvine Welsh said "[It's] an audacious and compelling initiative which promises to redefine and modernise the entire notion of public library services, and in the process create the greatest public information resource in Europe ... Writers will love it, and so will readers."[15] Architect of the Birmingham Central Library, John Madin, criticised the building as not fit for purpose in 2011. Madin said "They are spending all this money on a new library which is no better than the existing one. Eighty per cent of it will not have natural light and does not meet the standards of the existing building."[16]

Construction

The interior, seen in the week before opening

Preparation of the ground for building, and archaeological work between Baskerville House and The Rep had begun before planning permission had been granted.[17] Planning permission was finally granted and approved by Birmingham City Council in December 2009. Building work, which was undertaken by Carillion,[18] commenced in January 2010, with a completion schedule for 3 September 2013.[19] A topping out ceremony to mark the completion of the highest part of the building took place on 14 September 2011.[20]

The library utilises an "aquifer ground source system" as a source of energy. Cold groundwater will be pumped up from within the earth and used in the air conditioning system. The water will then flow back into the ground via another drilled well. The use of groundwater as a source of renewable energy will lower the library's CO2 emissions.[21]

Of the meanwhile, the previous Central Library failed for the second time to gain status as a listed building. Work is scheduled to begin on demolishing the old library to make way for the redevelopment of Paradise Circus.[22]

Opening

The formal opening on 3 September 2013 was conducted by Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, and who now lives in Birmingham.[23] Before unveiling a plaque, she said "Let us not forget that even one book, one pen, one teacher can change the world".[24] The Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey was also in attendance.

Collections

The library has a number of nationally and internationally significant collections, including the Boulton and Watt archives, the Bournville Village Trust Archive, the Charles Parker Archive,[25] the Parker collection of children's books,[26] the Wingate Bett transport ticket collection,[26] the Warwickshire photographic survey,[26] the British Institute of Organ Studies archive and the Railway and Canal Historical Society Library.

The specialist Shakespeare Memorial Room was designed in 1882 by John Henry Chamberlain for the first Central Library.[27] When the old building was demolished in 1974 Chamberlain's room was dismantled and later fitted into the new concrete shell of the new library complex.[27] When the Library of Birmingham was built, it was again moved, to the top floor.[27] It houses Britain’s most important Shakespeare collection, and one of the two most important Shakespeare collections in the world; the other being held by the Folger Shakespeare Library. The collection contains 43,000 books[23] including rare items such as a copy of the First Folio 1623; copies of the four earliest Folio editions;[23] over 70 editions of separate plays printed before 1709 including three "Pavier" quartos published in 1619 but falsely dated. There are significant collections from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, a near complete collection of Collected Works, significant numbers of adaptations, anthologies and individual editions.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Library of Birmingham: Official opening of £189m building", BBC News, retrieved 03 September 2013 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "Topping out ceremony takes place at Library of Birmingham", Birmingham Post, retrieved 15 September 2011
  3. ^ "Library of Birmingham: Official opening of £189m building", BBC News, retrieved 03 September 2013 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ Booth, Robert (3 April 2009). "Library of Birmingham plans unveiled as recession opens a new chapter for civic buildings". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  5. ^ The British Library in London is larger, but is only open to the public by appointment
  6. ^ "Library of Birmingham on BBC Radio 4". Mecanoo architecten. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Library of Birmingham: 'It's about more than just books'". BBC Online. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  8. ^ Library of Birmingham and city centre park – outline planning application – GVA Grimley, 19 December 2003
  9. ^ Birmingham.gov.uk: Spring 2005 Update
  10. ^ Capita Symonds appointed as Project Managers for the Library of Birmingham – Press Release by Birmingham City Council (1 September 2006)
  11. ^ Library plans could be shelved – Birmingham Post (24 January 2007)
  12. ^ *Autumn 2007 update on move
  13. ^ "Library Design Team Shortlist Announced". Birmingham City Council. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  14. ^ Stewart, Dan (5 August 2008). "Mecanoo scoops £188.8m Birmingham library". Building. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
  15. ^ "Top writers celebrate Library of Birmingham's audacity". The Guardian. London. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  16. ^ Stuart, Paul (21 March 2011). "New Library of Birmingham slammed as 'waste of money' by architect who designed original central library". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  17. ^ "Building work at £193m Library of Birmingham poses 'safety risk to pedestrians'". Birmingham Mail.
  18. ^ "Carillion starts work on Birmingham's £193m library". Building. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  19. ^ "Work Begins on Library of Birmingham". Birmingham City Council. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  20. ^ "New Birmingham library celebrates topping out milestone". BBC. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  21. ^ "Library of Birmingham". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  22. ^ "Birmingham Central Library to be demolished within five years". Birmingham Mail.
  23. ^ a b c "Library of Birmingham: Official opening of £189m building". BBC Online. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  24. ^ "'Let us not forget that even one book, one pen, one teacher can change the world'". 3 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  25. ^ "The Charles Parker Archive". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  26. ^ a b c "Collections". Library of Birmingham. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  27. ^ a b c "Shakespeare Memorial Room". Library of Birmingham. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
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