Contemporary Library

Architecture
Focusing on the practical issues that need to be addressed
by anyone involved in library design, Ken Worpole offers his
renowned expertise to architects, planners, library professionals,
students, local government officers and members interested in
creating and sustaining successful library buildings and services.

Contemporary Library Architecture features:

• a brief history of library architecture

• an account of some of the most distinctive library designs of
the twentieth and twenty-first centuries

• an outline of the process for developing a successful brief

and establishing a project management team

• a delineation of the commissioning process

• practical advice on how to deal with vital elements such as
public accessibility, stock-holding, ICT, back office functions,
children's services, co-location with other services such as
learning centres and tourist and information services, and
sustainability

• in-depth case studies from around the world, including public

and academic libraries from the UK, Europe and the USA

• full colour illustrations throughout, showing technical details

and photographs.

This book is the ultimate guide for anyone approaching library

design.

Ken WorpoLe is Emeritus Professor at the Cities Institute, London

Metropolitan University, and adviser on public policy to the
UK government, the Commission for Architecture and the Built
Environment, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. He is also the
author of many books and studies on architecture, landscape and
urban design. The Independent newspaper wrote that 'for many
years Ken Worpole has been one of the shrewdest and sharpest
observers of the English social landscape:
ALso by Ken WorpoLe
Modem Hospice Design: The Architecture of
Palliative Care
(Routledge 2009)
Contemporary
Library
Arch itectu re
A PLANNING AND D SIGN GUID

Ken Worpole

I~ ~~o~~~;n~~;up
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2013
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada

by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

••<j 2013 Ken Worpole

The right of Ken Worpole to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or

utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or

registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Worpole, Ken.
Contemporary library architecture: a planning and design guide / Ken
Worpole.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Library architecture. 2. Library buildings--Design and construction. I.
Title.
Z679.W83 2013
727' .8--dc23
2012036229

ISBN: 978-0-415-59229-1 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-415-59230-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-58403-3 (ebk)

Typeset in ITC Officina Sans Std 9/12.5pt

by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NN
There is nothing natural about the public domain. It is a gift Designers of these turn-of-the-twenty-first-century library
of history, and of fairly recent history at that. It is literally a buildings have rejected architectural precedents; they have, for
priceless gift. The goods of the public domain cannot be valued the most part, done away with the notion of type and developed
by market criteria, but they are no less precious for that. They highly individualised schemes, many of which call into question
include fair trials, welcoming public spaces, free public libraries, tried and true ways of organising a library. And they have
subsidised opera, mutual building societies, safe food, the reconsidered what it means to reflect a sense of place and how to
broadcasts of the BBe World Service, the lobbying of Amnesty respond to the building's site and its urban and regional contexts.
International, clean water, impartial public administration, These new public libraries have taken on forms and characters
disinterested scholarship, blood donors, magistrates, the minimum that support the libraries' fundamental goals: to promote easy
wage, the Pen nine Way and the rulings of the Health and Safety access to information, to provide a legible layout and effective
Executive. circulation, to permit the effective deployment of staff, to allow
David Marquand, Decline of the Public: The Hollowing-out of for flexibility and relatively easy expansion, to enhance the
Citizenship, 2004 interior environments for the myriad activities that go on inside,
and to respond to their urban and regional contexts. The balance
A library is a very specific sort of buildi ng. A buildi ng where you of these responsibilities is different in each city, and the design
collectively do something individual. With a theatre it's the other that achieves that balance is different in each case. Hence we
way round. There you look individually at something collective. have the great diversity among the great contemporary libraries.
The interesting thing about the phenomenon of the library is Shannon Mattern, The New Downtown Library, 2007
that everyone wants to create a private domain, even if only for
ten minutes. You see also that visitors nearly always consciously
choose a place. I don't think there's any other building where the
tension between the individual and working in a collective space
is so emphatically present as in a library. That's why we also said
- discovered actually - that as soon as you enter a library, you're
also involved with other people. Just like in a park for instance.
Individual versus collective plays a strong part in a library.
Wiel Arets, architect of Utrecht University Library,
Living Library, 2005
This page intentionally left blank
Contents

Acronyms viii
List of illustrations ix
Acknowledgements 1

PART 1 THE LIBRARY IN THE CITY 2

CHAPTER 1 A city with a great library is a great city 4

PART 2 THE LlBRARYNESS OF LIBRARIES 30

CHAPTER 2 Libraries: the 'sacred' spaces of modernity 32

CHAPTER 3 What you see is what you get: key elements of library architecture 42

CHAPTER 4 A new wave of library architecture 52

PART 3 PLANNING AND DESIGN PROCESSES 58

CHAPTER S Developing the brief and establishing a project management team 60

CHAPTER 6 Places and partners 76

CHAPTER 7 Programmes and people: the changing library programme 88

CHAPTER 8 A vital space for children and young people 98

PART 4 SELECTED CASE STUDIES 102

CHAPTER 9 Public library case studies 104

CHAPTER 10 Academic library case studies 146

PART 5 LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE 164

CHAPTER 11 Lessons from the case studies and post-occupancy evaluation 166

CHAPTER 12 Twenty-first century libraries: changing forms, changing functions 186

Bibliography 190
Further acknowledgements 193

vi vii
Acronyms

AlA American Institute of Architects (USA)

ALA American Libraries Association (USA)

ARCUB Architectural Librarians Group (U K)

BREEAM Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (UK)

CABE Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment (UK)

CILIP Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (UK)

DCMS Department for Culture, Media and Sport (U K)

DDA Disability Discrimination Act (UK)

ICT Information & Communications Technology

IFLA International Federation of Library Associations

MLA Museums, Libraries, Archives (UK)

MOA Mass Observation Archive (UK)

OPAC Online Public Access Catalogue (U K)

PFI Private Finance Initiative (UK)

POE Post-Occupancy Evaluation

RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects (UK)

RFID Radio Frequency Identification

SCONUL Society of College, National and University Libraries Librarians (UK)

viii ix
List of Illustrations

Entrance to Brighton Library and piazza foreground 2

Figure 1.1 Seattle Public Library: Fourth Avenue Plan (Copyright OMA) 5
Figure 1.2 Seattle Public Library: Dewey Decimal System - organised book spiral (Copyright OMA) 6
Figure 1.3 Seattle Public Library by Rem Koolhaas & OMA (Photo: Graeme Evans) 6
Figure 1.4 Ground floor reading lounge of Seattle Public Library (Photo: Graeme Evans) 7
Figure 1.5 Entrance to Bibliotheque Nationale. Architect: Dominique Perrault 8
Figure 1.6 Public piazza at British Library. Architect: Colin St John Wilson; sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi 9
Figure 1.7 Hot-desking in British Library cafe 9
Figure 1.8 Aberdeen University Library, designed by schmidt/hammer/lassen, opened in 2011 10
Figure 1.9 The library as a 'third place' between home and work: first floor reading area of Jaume Fuster Library, Barcelona,
designed byJosep Llinas, and opened in 2005 12
Figure 1.10 Mixture of informal reading armchairs and study tables on ground floor of Norwich Library, designed by Michael
Hopkins & Partners, and opened in 2001 12
Figure 1.11 Central Library, Birmingham, by architect John Madin, opened in 1974, now due for demolition 15
Figure 1.12 Library of Birmingham: image of front elevation at night (Credit: Hayes Davidson) 15
Figure 1.13 Computer-generated image of the new Library of Birmingham in its Centenary Square setting (Credit: Hayes
Davidson) 15
Figure 1.14 Library of Birmingham: image of bookwall rotunda (Credit: Hayes Davidson) 18
Figure 1.15 Library of Birmingham: image of public amphitheatre (Credit: Hayes Davidson) 18
Figure 1.16 Main eastern entrance of Mitchell Library, Glasgow, designed byWilliam B. White, opened in 1911 19
Figure 1.17 Ground floor fiction section of refurbished Mitchell Library, Glasgow 20
Figure 1.18 Busy ground floor cafe and reading area of Mitchell Library, Glasgow, re-designed and refurbished in 2004 20
Figure 1.19 The heroic facade of what was once St Andrew's Hall, designed by James Sellars and opened in 1877, now forming
the western entrance of Mitchell Library, Glasgow 20
Figure 1.20 Canada Water Library, Southwark, London, designed by Piers Gough of CZWG, opened in 2011, integrating
Docklands and Underground railway connections 21
Figure 1.21 Exterior of Clapham Library by Studio Egret West, opened 2012, combining apartments, hea Ith centre and public
library 22
Figure 1.22 C. L. R. James Library, Dalston, London Borough of Hackney, designed by Earle Architects, opened in 2012 22
Figure 1.23 Dagenham Library, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, designed by ArchitecturePLB, opened in 2010 22
Figure 1.24 Extension to Enfield Library, London Borough of Enfield, designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter 23
Figure 1.25 Shepherd's Bush Library, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, part-designed by FaulknerBrowns, opened
in 2009 23
Figure 1.26 Clapham Library street level entrance, fronted by public sculpture by Andrew Logan spelling out LIBRARY in
free-standing sculpted letters 24
Figure 1.27 Drawing by architect Christophe Egret of proposed main atrium hall at Clapham Library 25
Figure 1.28 Interior of new Clapham Library, opened 2012; bold massing on a busy thoroughfare, combining apartments,
health centre and public library. Designed by Studio Egret West 25
Figure 1.29 Krystalgade Library, Copenhagen, an early example of the grand library atrium 26
Figure 1.30 Deep plan interior of Flushing Library (Queens Public Library) designed by Polsheck Partnership. (Photo: Nick
Darton) 26
Figure 1.31 The multi-level atrium at Aberdeen University Library, designed by schmidt/hammer/lassen 27

viii ix
Figure 1.32 Interior of Rotterdam Library 28
Figure 1.33 Library of Birmingham: image of section (Credit: Hayes Davidson) 29
Impressive entrance to Passmore Edwards Free Library in Shored itch, London, designed by architect H.T. Hare, and opened in
1897 31
Figure 2.1 Capital figure on former Cardiff Central Library 33
Figure 2.2 Sailors' Reading Room at Southwold, Suffolk 34
Figure 2.3 Stockholm City Library, designed by architect Erik Asplund 34
Figure 2.4 Ceremonial staircase at Swiss Cottage Central Library, designed by Sir Basil Spence, opened in 1964 and
refurbished by John McAslan & Partners in 2003 35
Figure 2.5 Ceremonial staircase at Sheffield Western Library, designed by Gollins Melvin Ward and Partners, restored by Avanti
Architects 35
Figure 2.6 Ceremonial staircase at Cranfield University Library, designed by Foster + Partners 36
Figure 2.7 Canada Water Library, Southwark, London, designed by Piers Gough of CZWG, occupying a key waterside site in
former docklands 37
Figure 2.8 The 'Black Diamond' city library, an extension to the Royal Library of Copenhagen, designed by schmidt/hammer/
lassen 38
Figure 2.9 Bold LIBRARY sign at Boscombe Library, Bournemouth, a development by Hawkins Brown, including
apartments 39
Figure 2.10 Children's section at Sutton Library, London (All rights reserved - London Borough of Sutton Library Services) 41
Figure 3.1 Steps of New York Public Library, one of the city's great meeting places 43
Figure 3.2 Peckham Library designed by Alsop & Stormer, winner of 2000 Stirling Prize 44
Figure 3.3 Rotunda of the former British Library Reading Room in Bloomsbury, now vacated and used by the British
Museum 44
Figure 3.4 Imposing presence of The Picton Library, Liverpool 45
Figure 3.5 Great Rotunda of Manchester Central Library, designed by E. Vincent Harris and opened in 1934 45
Figure 3.6 Imposing entrance of Stockholm Library 45
Figure 3.7 Circular facade of Bourne Hall Library, Ewell, in Surrey, designed by A.G.Sheppard Fidler and Associates, opened in
1970 46
Figure 3.8 Circular stairwell at LSE Library, London, designed by Foster + Partners 47
Figure 3.9 Circular stairwell at Canada Water Library, Southwark, London, designed by Piers Gough of CZWG 47
Figure 3.10 Public atrium of Norwich Forum leading to Norwich Central Library, designed by Michael Hopkins & Partners, and
opened in 2001 48
Figure 3.11 Entrance and facade of Carnegie Library, London Borough of Enfield 49
Figure 3.12 Entrance and facade of Carnegie Library, London Borough of Enfield (detail) 49
Figure 3.13 Interior of Uppsala Public Library 50
Figure 3.14 Striking design of the prow end of the modernist Swiss Cottage Library, designed by Basil Spence, opened in
1964 51
Figure 3.15 Southend on Sea Central Library opened in 1974 51
Figure 4.1 Idea Store reception desk, London Borough of Tower Hamlets 54
Passers-by stop to look at site hoardings with plans for new Library of Birmingham, displayed by Mecanoo architect, Francine
Houben 58
Figure 5.1 People, programmes, partners and places: the virtuous circle (CABE & RIBA, 2004) 64
Figure 5.2 Pop-up library: Seven Kings Library, London Borough of Redbridge, converted from a vacant discount store 65
Figure 5.3 Interior of Seven Kings Library, London Borough of Redbridge, converted from a vacant discount store 65
Figure 5.4 Amsterdam Public Library designed by Jo Coenen & Co Architecten, opened in 2008, and much visited by librarians
from around the world. (Photos: Mike Llewellyn) 69
Figure 5.5 Interior of new public library and community centre in former mining community of Houghton Le Spring, near
Sunderland 70
Figure 5.6 New art gallery in refurbished public library at Bishop Auckland by Ainsworth Spark Associates 70
Figure 5.7 Site plan of March Library, Cambridgeshire, designed by Bernard Stillwell Architects 71
Figure 5.8 Cross-section of March Library, Cambridgeshire, designed by Bernard Stillwell Architects 72

x xi
Figure 5.9 March Library 72
Figure 5.10 March Library interior 73
Figure 5.11 Corner entrance to Apeldoorn Cultural Centre in The Netherlands, designed by Herman Hertzberger 74
Figure 5.12 Facade of existing Apeldoorn Library 75
Figure 5.13 Cafe and gallery at Apeldoorn Cultural Centre and Library 75
Figure 6.1 Shepherd's Bush Library occupies a corner site, much to its advantage 78
Figure 6.2 Uppsala Library Reading Room 80
Figure 6.3 Cardiff Central Library designed by BDP: connecting views 81
Figure 6.4 Aberdeen University Library: the view from above of the cafe-foyer area 82
Figure 6.5 Mediatheque Jean-Pierre Melville in Paris, with strong visual connections between library and street 84
Figure 6.6 Library & Health Centre at Cambourne in Cambridge, designed by West Hart Partnership (Practice) 85
Figure 6.7 Interior of Library & Health Centre at Cambourne in Cambridge, showing common foyer, waiting area and reading
room 85
Figure 6.8 Boscombe Library, Bournemouth, a development by Hawkins Brown, including apartments 87
Figure 6.9 Gallery and art workshop at Winchester Discovery Centre 87
Figure 7.1 Floor plan of West Derby Carnegie Library, 1905, re-drawn by Ian Worpole. Clear allocation of spaces to functions,
including separate reading rooms for 'Boys' and 'Ladies' 89
Figure 7.2 Floor plan of Parkhead District Library, Glasgow (Courtesy of Gerald Blaikie, Scotcities). The children's library has its
own entrance into a separate basement, as at Viipuri. Separate Ladies' Reading Room 90
Figure 7.3 Photographs of local scenes enliven ends of stand-alone shelving units at Huntingdon Library 91
Figure 7.4 The Hague Library, designed by Richard Meier, opened 1995 92
Figure 7.5 Good use of columns for clear sign-posting at Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona 94
Figure 7.6 Open Air Library in Magdeburg, Germany, designed by Karo with Architektur + Netzwork 96
Figure 7.7 Terrace garden and entrance to new extension of Winchester Discovery Centre 97
Figure 8.1 Childrens's Zone clearly dermarcated at The Hub, Kinson, Bournemouth, designed and installed by Radford HMV
Group Ltd 100
Figure 8.2 Stylish Philippe Starck chairs in Internet Zone, Ward End Library, Birmingham, designed by John Hunt Associates
(Photo: Kevin Duffy) 101
Figure 9.1 Site plan, Jaume Fuster Library, Barcelona, Courtesy of Josep Llinas 104
Figure 9.2 Ground floor plan, Jaume Fuster Library, Barcelona, courtesy of Josep Llinas. The self-contained children's library is
to the right. The cafe is bottom left, and the art gallery top left. 105
Figure 9.3 First floor plan, Jaume Fuster Library, Barcelona, courtesy of Josep Llinas 105
Figure 9.4 Street corner view of Jaume Fuster Library, Barcelona, commanding a major intersection 106
Figure 9.5 Canopied, set-back entrance to Jaume Foster Library, drawing visitors in 106
Figure 9.6 First floor, Bournemouth Library. Courtesy of BDP 107
Figure 9.7 Elevation, Bournemouth Library. Courtesy of BDP 108
Figure 9.8 Section, Bournemouth Library. Courtesy of BDP 108
Figure 9.9 Interior view of main first floor atrium at Bournemouth Library 109
Figure 9.10 Brightly painted angular support columns add dynamism to interior of Bournemouth Library 110
Figure 9.11 Ground floor plan, Jubilee Library, Brighton (© Bennetts Associates) 111
Figure 9.12 Section perspective, Jubilee Library, Brighton (© John Bradbury) 112
Figure 9.13 View of ground floor of Brighton Library 113
Figure 9.14 Corner view of 'floating' first floor reference library, connected by walkways and bridges 113
Figure 9.15 Ground floor plan, Canada Water Library. Performance auditorium to the left, courtesy of CZWG Architects 115
Figure 9.16 First floor library floor plan, Canada Water Library, courtesy of CZWG Architects 116
Figure 9.17 Second floor library plan, Canada Water Library, courtesy of CZWG Architects 116
Figure 9.18 View from upper tier of Canada Water Library to first floor lending library 117
Figure 9.19 The new Canada Water Library end-stops a public piazza linking bus, underground and overground rail
services 117
Figure 9.20 Bold corner canopied entrance of new Dagenham Library by ArchitecturePLB, with apartments above and either
side 118

x xi
Figure 9.21 Main staircase and atrium at Dagenham Library 119
Figure 9.22 Floor plan and cross section of Bourne Hall Library, Ewell, opened 1970 (Images courtesy of Surrey Libraries and
held in the Epsom and Ewell Local Family History Centre) 120
Figure 9.23 Art gallery interior, connected to circular edge of public library at Bourne Hall Library, Ewell, Surrey 121
Figure 9.24 'It looked as though a space ship had landed.' Bourne Hall Library designed by A.G. Sheppard Fidler and
Associates 121
Figure 9.25 The Bridge Library at Easterhouse Arts Centre: floor plan and context, courtesy of Gareth Hoskins Architects 122
Figure 9.26 The Bridge Library at Easterhouse Arts Centre: library section 123
Figure 9.27 The Bridge Library, Easterhouse, by Gareth Hoskins Architects. Internal walkway adjacent to main library
space 123
Figure 9.28 The Bridge Library at Easterhouse Arts Centre at night. Photograph by Andrew Lee 124
Figure 9.29 Street frontage of Hook and Chessington Library, Royal London Borough of Kingston upon Thames, by Dunlop
Haywards & Quintessential Design 125
Figure 9.30 Hook Library and Community Centre: library, cafe, meeting rooms, computer training and recording studio 126
Figure 9.31 Main library desk at Hook Library overlooking computer suite 126
Figure 9.32 Huntingdon Library: ground floor plan. Courtesy of CPMG Architects Limited 127
Figure 9.33 Huntingdon Library: first floor plan. Courtesy of CPMG Architects Limited 128
Figure 9.34 Pronounced corner of new Huntingdon Library and Archive, designed by Crampin Pring McCartney Gant and
opened in 2009 129
Figure 9.35 Ground floor interior of Huntingdon Library and Archive 129
Figure 9.36 Level 1 Floor plan, Newcastle City Library, courtesy of Ryder Architecture 131
Figure 9.37 Level 2 Floor plan, Newcastle City Library, courtesy of Ryder Architecture 131
Figure 9.38 Ground floor of Newcastle Library by Ryder Architecture 132
Figure 9.39 Enquiry desks and quick access computer stalls on ground floor of Newcastle Library 132
Figure 9.40 Corner glazed tower of Newcastle Library 133
Figure 9.41 Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Project: The Forum Context Plan. Courtesy of Michael Hopkins & Partners 134
Figure 9.42 Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Project: Ground Floor Plan. Courtesy of Michael Hopkins & Partners 135
Figure 9.43 Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Project: The Forum Cross Section. Courtesy of Michael Hopkins & Partners 136
Figure 9.44 Glazed facade of Norwich forum, from library, looking across to main market square and city roofline 137
Figure 9.45 Norwich Library purposely mixes reference and lending stock, causal reading and study areas 138
Figure 9.46 Main public area of Norwich Forum leading to Norwich Millennium Library 138
Figure 9.47 Idea Store Whitechapel: ground floor plan with subsequent suggestions by designers, mackenzie wheeler, for
adaptations and enhancements after several years of intensive use 139
Figure 9.48 Whitchapel Idea Store 141
Figure 9.49 Curving book display units and bright rubberised floors at Idea Store Whitechapel 142
Figure 9.50 Ground floor plan, Winchester Discovery Centre. Courtesy of Hampshire County Council 143
Figure 9.51 Grade I listed former Corn Exchange now refurbished as Winchester Discovery Centre (including library) 144
Figure 9.52 Well sign-posted lending library rotunda and stairs to upper library floor and gallery at Winchester Discovery
Centre 145
Figure 9.53 Handsome extension to former Winchester Corn Exchange providing additional library space and cafe, designed
by Hampshire County Council Architects 145
Figure 10.1 Aberdeen University ground floor and furnishing plan. Courtesy of HCS Business Interiors 147
Figure 10.2 Aberdeen University first floor and furnishing plan. Courtesy of HCS Business Interiors 148
Figure 10.3 Aberdeen University seventh floor and furnishing plan. Courtesy of HCS Business Interiors 148
Figure 10.4 Aberdeen University Library by schmidt/hammer/lassen, opened in 2011 149
Figure 10.5 Main ra ised plaza entrance to Aberdeen University Library, reflecting older buidlings 149
Figure 10.6 Sculptural atrium balconies and library areas at Aberdeen University Library 149
Figure 10.7 Cranfield University Library: Section 150
Figure 10.8 Cranfield University Library: Ground floor plan 151
Figure 10.9 Cranfield University Library: First floor plan 151
Figure 10.10 Cranfield University Library: Second floor plan 151

xii xiii
Figure 10.11 Scalloped overhang canopy at Cranfield University Library by Foster + Partners 152
Figure 10.12 Interior view of library atriums and galleries at Cranfield University Library 152
Figure 10.13 Library balconies and galleries at Cranfield University Library 152
Figure 10.14 University of Sheffield Information Commons: Ground floor plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJ M 153
Figure 10.15 University of Sheffield Information Commons: First floor plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJ M 154
Figure 10.16 University of Sheffield Information Commons: Section BB 155
Figure 10.17 External view of Sheffield University Information Commons by RMJ M, opened in 2007 155
Figure 10.18 Informal reading room lounge at Sheffield University Information Commons 155
Figure 10.19 Western Bank Library, The University of Sheffield. Catalogue Hall & Reading Room Plan - After Works.
Reproduced with kind permission of Avanti Architects 156
Figure 10.20 Western Bank Library, The University of Sheffield. Section - AA 157
Figure 10.21 Western Bank Library, the University of Sheffield. Section - BB 157
Figure 10.22 Park view of Sheffield University Western Bank Library by Gollins Melvin Ward and Partners, restored by Avanti
Arch itects 158
Figure 10.23 Restored first floor library reception hall at Sheffield Western Bank Library 159
Figure 10.24 University of Surrey: Proposed site plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJM 160
Figure 10.25 University of Surrey: Ground level plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJM 161
Figure 10.26 University of Surrey: Level 1 plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJM 161
Figure 10.27 University of Surrey: Section 2-2. Reproduced courtesy of RMJM 162
Figure 10.28 New extension of Surrey University Library and Learning Centre by RMJM 162
Figure 10.29 Stairwell and study areas at Surrey University Library and Learning Centre 163
Walkways, bridges, galleries and light-wells at the new Cardiff Central Library 165
Figure 11.1 Corner prow of Flushing Library, New York (Photo: Nick Darton) 168
Figure 11.2 Corner prow of Bournemouth Library providing a bold end-stop to the urban edge 169
Figure 11.3 The library at night: Barking Learning Centre (Library & Art Gallery) 169
Figure 11.4 The library at night: The Bridge Arts Centre, Easterhouse, Glasgow (Photo: Andrew Lee) 170
Figure 11.5 Lewisham Library at night 170
Figure 11.6 The Whitechapel Idea Store is firmly rooted in the street life of the busy market area 171
Figure 11.7 Bold corner presence of C.L.R. James Library, London Borough of Hackney, but entrance poorly evident 172
Figure 11.8 Confused arrangement and sign-posting of entrance and exit doors at Boscombe Library, Bournemouth 173
Figure 11.9 The amphitheatre stairs outside Birmingham Central Library - a popular meeting place 174
Figure 11.10 Clear, well sign-posted entrance to the Library, Cirencester, new extension opened in 2008 174
Figure 11.11 Principal first floor library area at Bournemouth Library 175
Figure 11.12 Good connectivity between ground and first floors of Lewes Library 175
Figure 11.13 Bright glazed entrance vestibule to underground library at Essen in Germany 176
Figure 11.14 Interior of public library, Essen, Germany 176
Figure 11.15 Ova I atrium with ceremonial sta ircase at Winchester Discovery Centre with excellent signage of shelving 177
Figure 11.16 Group Study Room at Surrey University Library: maximum transparency 178
Figure 11.17 Forest Gate interior 178
Figure 11.18 Cafe at the Library, Huntingdon Library, Cambridgeshire 180
Figure 11.19 Cafe and browsing area at Newcastle Central Library 180
Figure 11.20 Ground floor foyer and cafe area at Aberdeen University Library 181
Figure 11.21 Informal meeting area for library users and local voluntary groups at The Bridge Arts Centre, Easterhouse,
Glasgow 182
Figure 11.22 Colour can create a sense of luxury and fun: Cardiff Central Library 183
Figure 11.23 Transparency and interplay between indoor and outdoor spaces at Norwich Forum Library 183
Figure 11.24 Restored spiral sta ircase at Swiss Cottage Library 184
Figure 11.25 Open-plan and approachable staff area at Cranfield University Library 185

xii xiii
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Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to colleagues at the Cities Institute, London

Metropolitan University, for support in many ways during the
researching and writing of this book, in particular Professors
Graeme Evans and Leonie Kellaher, along with Sue Bagwell, Jo
Foord, Clare Redwood and Antje Witting. Many thanks also to
Caroline Mallinder, and to Laura Williamson at Routledge. As
always, an enormous debt of gratitude is due to Larraine Worpole,
who shares in everything.

Unless otherwise credited, all photographs are by Larraine

Worpole and Ken Worpole.

xiv 1
PART 1

The library in t

Entrance to Brig hton Library and p iazza fo regro und

the city
CHAPTER 1

A city with a great library

is a great city
The public Library building is enjoying a new era of prestige across the world,
with considerable architectural innovation during the past twenty years. Today,
however, Libraries are as much about creating places where people meet, read,
discuss and explore ideas, as they are about the coLLection and administration of
books in an ordered form. The idea of the modern public Library as a 'Living room
in the city' is becoming a vital feature of modern urban culture, and architects
are having to respond to this change of role. Towards the end of this chapter
a schema is proposed which compares and contrasts the distinctive attributes
of the traditional public Library and the modern public Library architectural
paradigms. Such changes necessitate a major shift in the way these new building
projects are developed and commissioned, and these highly political procurement
and development processes are discussed.

Against expectations, the public library building is enjoying a new Ayub Khan, Simon Pepper and Romero Santi. I also learned much
era of prestige across the world. So too are many other forms of from the study into new library buildings conducted at Sheffield
library design and architecture, as higher education expands to University by Jared Bryson, Bob Usherwood and Richard Proctor.
meet a global demand for better educated populations capable Many other researchers and writers are acknowledged at the end.
of attending to their own intellectual self-development and Likewise the bibliography will, I hope, provide some idea of the
professional expertise. No modern town or city is truly complete scale and range of writing now available which regards the library
without a confident central library functioning as a meeting place building as central to the improved life chances and well-being of
and intellectual heart of civic life, echoing the sentiment of the people in modern democratic societies.
inscription above the door of the grand reading room of the
modern Nashville Library which opened in the summer of 2001: 'A In a special edition of the journal Architectural Review, devoted
city with a great library is a great city: to 'The Library and the City', architectural critic Trevor Boddy
(2006) expressed some scepticism about the so-called 'Bilbao
The core functions of these new libraries are not simply more of Effect', which suggested that only iconic museums designed by
the same (and bigger and bolder) - they are different in very world-famous architects could rescue failing cities from oblivion.
many ways from what has gone before. As architect and critic He noted that, 'It seems evident that the building that will
Brian Edwards has observed, 'Libraries have seen more change come to emblematise the beginning of a new century of public
in the past twenty years than at any time in the past hundred' architecture is not the latest Kunsthalle by Hadid, Holl or Herzog
(Edwards, 2009: xiii). Edwards is one of an admirable group & de Meuron, but rather Rem Koolhaas' Seattle Central Public
of contemporary library historians, architectural critics and Library: In this I concur, noting that in several of the most
practitioners, whose advocacy of the new library movement has audacious designs for new world-status museums there is actually
been especially helpful in the writing of this book, along with nowhere for people to sit or engage with each other. Who are
Alistair Black, Kaye Bagshaw, Biddy Fisher, Shannon Mattern, these buildings really being designed for, and what is the nature

4 5
 A city with a great library is a great city

of civic entitlement and democratic exchange embodied within provide a much richer range of public spaces than these other
them? Such questions are now being asked around the world as a forms of cultural provision, public or private. It was Seattle
generation of 'iconic' cultural buildings struggle to find revenue Library's 'trailblazing take on public space' that excited Boddy.
funding and audiences. For a devastating critique of the baleful He enthused that its 'levels provide niches for scholars, corporate
influence and final implosion of the 'Bilbao Effect', few can researchers, bibliomanes, teen-daters and even the homeless
better Deyan Sudjic's acerbic essay on 'The Uses of Culture' in seeking refuge from the rain' (Boddy, 2006: 45). This universal
his book The Edifice Complex (2006), where Sudjic itemises the welcome and reach he stated, were 'shared by most of the
overblown rhetoric and spiralling costs of many of these grand libraries gathered in these pages: Economic historian Edward
self-referential museum projects, and their early demise or slow Glaeser urges all those involved in future urban regeneration
foundering. programmes to invest in people, and in projects such as public
libraries which encourage learning, participation and the
The reason why libraries still have a clear civic edge over the development of social capital, not grands projets providing
proliferation of art galleries and museums of recent years - in consumer spectacle for those lucky enough to have time and
the name of urban regeneration - is because they continue to money to spare (Glaeser, 2011).

Seattle Public Library

Now probably the most famous newly designed and completed firm, Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), along
public library in the world, Seattle's Public Library opened with LMN Architects in Seattle, its gigantic, deconstructed
on 23 May 2004 . Designed by Rem Koolhaas and his Dutch irregular mass now dominates one area of the city, and has

Figure 1.1 Seattle Publi c Library: Fourth Avenue Plan (CopYright OMA)

4 5
Contemporary Library Architecture

clearly been designed to express the shock of t he new, whilst

simultaneously cha llenging every accepted cliche of what a
public library should look like. It is said that Koolhaas refuses
to accept architectura l concepts such as 'type' and 'generic
style', and believes t hat architecture sho uld be based on a
research-based approach to the design process that ta kes
nothing as given but always starts with a tabula rasa. In his
own words, the library is 'a physical expression of t he strugg le
to maintain the sanctity of pub lic space and build an efficient,
technologica l machine in a world t hat is in a co nstant state of
flux' (Mattern, 2007 : 75).
Figure 1.2 Seat e PublIC Library: Dewey DeCimal System - organIsed
book spiral (Copynghl OMA)
The buiLding's strikingLy unconventionaL shape - basicaLLy a
series of five boxes (one beLow ground) stacked irreguLarly on The internal spaces are located across eleven different LeveLs,
top of each other, producing a set of canti levered overha ngs with the first five leveLs given over to ch iLdren's and teen
as weLL as deep insets - is said to make it more resistant Library areas, auditoria, language centre, fiction, Living room,
to wind and earthquakes, reinforced by an exoskeleton of cafe and meeti ng rooms, with the 'mixing chamber', described
diamond-patterned steeL mesh. SeattLe journa list Regi na by one writer as a 'trading floor for information' taking up
Hackett aptly suggests that 'the buiLding has a spLit most of leveL 5. Above that the famous Books SpiraL works
personality. ALL the bruta l chic is on the outside, its diamond- its way up t hro ugh levels 6, 7, 8 and 9 - where the main
shaped steel and gLass skin stretched over muscle .. . In side, non-fi ction stock is to be fou nd in one co nti nuous thread of
the library appears to change its character, starting with t he shelving fo llowing an internal ra mp which slopes continuously
assymetrical steel ski n, which interna lly is pai nted a lu scious upwa rds at an angle of two degrees. At level 10 there is a
and lulling baby blue: The deep ly indented or extended edges large reading room with views out across t he city, and, finally,
on all four sides produced a range of lighting condi tions inside level 11 is wholly allocated to admi nistration. This schema or
which offer both shade and direct sunlig ht, all mediated by division of space is based on t he programme being divided
the steel mesh skin . into five main compartments: Ad ministration, Books, Meeting,

6 7
 A city with a great library is a great city

Information and Parking. Those using the reading room to underground car park with 143 spaces. Apparently during the
study, browsing for non-fiction, and thus likely to stay longer consultation process the City Librarian, Deborah Jacobs, said
will need to rise further up the building. Those coming to that more car parking was one of the biggest issues raised at
attend language classes, to borrow a novel, or accompany public meeti ngs. There are street level entra nces at Level 1 on
children, or meet friends will find most of their needs met Fourth Avenue and at Level 3 on Fifth Avenue.
closer to the ground. Ea ch floor is connected to the next by
escalators as well as elevators. The new library cost $165 million and offers 363,000 square
feet of library space and 49 ,000 square feet of underground
To European eyes the building appears to become its own parking. In its first yea r of use the library was attracting
biosphere, almost entire ly separate from the street or any 15,000 visitors a day. The library has the capacity to hold
kind of meaningful public landscape or street culture. It is more than 1.4 million books. It has been awarded Silver
its own world. But this is true of almost every steel and Rating by the U.S. Green Building Council as well as a 2005
glass high-rise building surrounding it in downtown Seattle Honor Award for Outstanding Architecture given by the
- each one a self-contained universe cut adrift from life at America n Institute of Architects (AlA).
ground level. Unsurprisingly the building is served by its own

Figure 1.4 Ground oor reading lounge of Seattle Publi c Library (Photo: G'aeme Evans)

Certainly in North America, today's civic boosters no longer the knowledge that in other parts of the social landscape the
demand a new convention centre but, rather, want a splendid new branch library or the community library is facing real problems
city-centre library. Shannon Mattern has detailed this precipitate of survival, as neighbourhood economies wilt under the macro-
rise of interest in her account of the development of new libraries economic pressures of centralising goods and services in towns
in Brooklyn, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Queens, Salt and cities across the world.
Lake City, Seattle and many other US cities. In Europe, and most
certainly in the UK, the story is the same, with a writer for the Nevertheless, these new libraries are winning architectural prizes
Daily Telegraph declaring that today 'the library is becoming for their bold imaginative response to the changing public library
a must-have element in prominent town-planning schemes: programme. In 2000 the relatively small library in Peckham, south
However, the excitement for the new needs to be tempered with London, designed by Alsop & Stormer won the highly prestigious

6 7
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Stirling Prize. In 2003 Bournemouth Library designed by Building Wilson's British Library, whose cafe spaces and other gathering areas
Design Partnership won The Prime Minister's Better Public are too tucked away he feels - though there's no doubt that the
Building Award, which Brighton's Jubilee Library designed by piazza in front of the British Library works well in good weather
Bennetts Associates & Lomax Cassidy Edwards went on to win in for library users and visitors, it is not felt to be a public space in
2005 (along with thirteen other awards), in a highly competitive its own right. Meanwhile, more and more British Library users now
field on both occasions. make use of every available space, including the stairs and floors, to
work or meet, so there is a sense that they themselves have created
spaces, even if they were not originally planned.

PUBLIC AND CAMPUS LIBRARIES IN PARTICULAR Furthermore national libraries generally have restricted conditions
of use and serve people coming from very long distances, including
This guide to the planning and design of libraries focuses other countries. By contrast, the public library and the campus
specifically on public libraries and libraries serving higher education library have to provide a convivial setting for all those living and
campuses, principally in the UK. Though there are many things to working close by, and thus have a universal remit to be welcoming
be admired in the design of national libraries, for example, there and open to everybody. The astonishing new campus library at the
are major generic differences which make it impossible to 'scale University of Aberdeen, designed by architects schmidt/hammer/
down' from a single, national institution to a widely disseminated lassen, embraces this wider remit as a beacon for the city, the
local one. While today's public and college libraries have to function region and the nation beyond. As its prospectus notes:
successfully as meeting places, this is not necessarily true of
national libraries. For example the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris The largest cultural project in Scotland for many years, our
is not only located away from the city centre, but is raised on a library will be a symbol that beckons to the future as much
forbidding plinth, after which one descends via narrow escalators as it showcases the past. It will stand as an international
down to a basement entrance. This design renders it almost beacon that challenges us to defy stagnation and rethink
determinedly resistant to informal or casual use. Dutch library what our region is capable of, to embrace the belief that
administrator Bas Savenije is similarly critical of Colin St John education must be inspirational, not merely pragmatic.

Figure 1.5 Entrance to Blbllotheque Natlonale. Architect: Dominique Perrault

8 9
 A city with a great library is a great city

Figure 1.6 Public piazza at British library. Architect: Colin St John Wilson; sculpture by Eduardo PaoloZZI

Figure 1.7 Hot-deskln9 In British Library cafe

8 9
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 1.8 Aberdeen University Library, designed by schmidt/hammer/lassen, opened In 2011

Even so, some of those with much to say about the role of the vast Internet cafe; is the nightmare vision of the old guard, even
library in society remain unhappy at this expansion of the core though the design is intended to increase book borrowings.
library remit - which is now to serve as a place in the city
for people to meet, as much as it is a space where books are This otherwise unremarkable creed remains a heresy in some
collected for public reference and use. In the summer of 2011 literary and academic quarters, though one suspects it exists
there was a heated exchange of letters in the Times Literary most strongly amongst people who, in fact, rarely use public
Supplement in response to a columnist ridiculing a local authority libraries in the course of their busy opinionated lives. As someone
policy statement which suggested that today libraries are as much who has visited public libraries inside the Arctic Circle, behind
about people as they are about books. A similarly charged debate the Iron Curtain, in the Australian outback and in small-town
erupted in early 2012 surrounding the proposal to re-configure America, along with Brian Edwards I remain completely relaxed
the lower floors of the New York Public Library - in a design by about the contemporary public library ethos which shares its
Foster + Partners - and to replace storage space with circulating attention equally between the collection of books and providing a
library space and new space for readers and writers, including meeting place for the people who use them. As Edwards cogently
easy access public borrowing, along with, inevitably, a coffee bar argues: 'The library would be needed even if we abandoned the
(Darnton, 2012). The proposal actually intends to increase and book merely because it brings people together in the pursuit of
widen public use of the library, yet has been denounced by critics knowledge' (Edwards, 2009: xii). The books provide the focus of
as an attack on the historic democracy of public library space. 'A the library ideal, and always will, but it is the meeting of minds,

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 A city with a great library is a great city

the conversations and the interchanges, the everyday humanity building projects were initiated in the late twentieth and early
of sharing a common intellectual space with other people, that twenty-first centuries in the UK' (Latimer, 2011: 117).
matters equally. It is for these reasons that one agrees with
Danish and international library consultant, Hellen Niegaard, that However, there is a principal difference between the campus
'The library universe is growing' (Niegaard, 2011: 177). library and the public library, notably that the former is usually
restricted to a known and immediate constituency of users -
Make no mistake, the libraries detailed in this book are attracting accredited students - and the need to be quite so open and
large numbers of people. Brighton now gets nearly 1 million transparent to the outside world is not required. For this reason
visits a year, Newcastle and Norwich 1.5 million each per annum, even the newer academic libraries evince a higher degree of
and even smaller libraries such as the Idea Store in Whitechapel introversion in their design than the new public libraries. They are
or the new library at Shepherd's Bush, both in poorer London still places where people can hide away for a day in quiet study,
neighbourhoods, are getting up to 1,500 visitors a day. Mecanoo's oblivious to the world outside. A design for a new university
new library for Birmingham, now under construction, anticipates library in Katowice in Poland, by HS99 architects, has an almost
attracting up to 15,000 visitors a day, in the same league as entirely solid facade of sandstone panels and looks to all
Seattle. Moreover the range of people using libraries continues to appearances like two large brick boxes joined together - almost
expand, with many of the newer libraries reporting much higher a mausoleum. Conversely, large areas of glazing and transparency
levels of use by young people. While having reservations about are dominant features of many new public libraries, keen to entice
David Adjaye's original design for Whitechapel's Idea Store (and passers-by inside by day and night.
continuing uncertainties about this new generic 'brand' name),
every time I visit the building it is buzzing from top to bottom, Of particular interest in this regard has been some scenario
from the penthouse art gallery and cafe area to the ground floor planning by the 'Academic Libraries of the Future' project in
lending stock - as busy as a department store at sale time, and the UK, designed to describe possible futures for teaching and
certainly more socially and culturally uplifting. research libraries in Higher Education, given the economic, social
and political pressures they are currently experiencing. They
In this regard the library continues to function successfully as outline three distinct scenarios, each with its own opportunities
what sociologists such as Ray Oldenburg have termed a 'third and drawbacks:
place' - a vital place distinct from the two other main sites of
human existence, the home and the place of work. These 'third • the 'Wild West' library
places' are where both conviviality and sanctuary are offered
• the 'Beehive' library
in a range of highly public as well as more intimate forms and
configurations. Given that 34 per cent of UK households now • the 'Walled Garden' library.
consist of a single person (by comparison, in Sweden it is an
astonishing 47 per cent and in India just 3 per cent), then such In the first case, the library becomes an entirely 'customer-
meeting places become ever more vital (Klinenberg: 2012). The focused' service, funded from a mixture of public, private and
growing phenomenon of the 'single-person' city - both Amsterdam voluntary sources, whose central ethos is simply giving users
and Paris have single-person households now in a majority what they want from a range of largely self-directed programmes
according to the New York Times of 5 February 2012 - provides of learning materials and modular courses. It espouses little
new opportunities for public libraries to become centres of a new connection to traditional university values of study for its own
urban sociability. sake, or even specialist strengths associated with particular
departments. It is a pick and mix world of highly individualised,
This is equally true of the campus library as it is of the retail learning. One might adduce - though architectural
neighbourhood or city centre public library. Indeed the case implications are not discussed in these scenarios - that a
studies provided later clearly emphasise the social role that library building serving this 'Wild West' would be rather like an
academic libraries play in student life, even when not strictly educational mall, where study 'product' is attractively displayed,
needed by those who could get all the information they need and which can easily be accessed via customised packages,
online. The campus library is today a great meeting place where all supported by coffee shops, technology outlets and other
social identities are formed, as well as being a place of research commercial support services.
and private study. The expansion of higher education in the UK
and in many other parts of the world has led to a boom in library Second, the 'Beehive' scenario envisages a library which is
construction and, according to Karen Latimer, as a result of the principally state-funded, hierarchical and ordered, and leans
1993 Follett Report, 'some one hundred new academic library more towards training a skilled workforce and intellectual sector

10 11
Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 1.9 The library as a 'third place' between home and work: first floor reading area of Jaume Fuster Library,
Barcelona, designed by Josep Lllnas, and opened In 2005

Figure 1.10 Mixture of Informal reading armchairs and study tables on ground floor of Norwich Library, designed by
Michael Hopkins & Partners, and opened In 2001

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 A city with a great library is a great city

than supporting a consumer-based free-for-all. It elides with a many of them don't even 'look like libraries'. In rejecting an
top-down notion of state planning for economic success, and is obligation to conform to an architectural type, today's public
highly vocational. Designing the ideal building for this model libraries are free to choose shapes and styles that speak to
would emphasise mass production, efficiency, high turnover and the cities and populations they serve.
fast circulation, all supported by state of the art timetabling of (Mattern, 2007: ix)
rooms, lecture theatres and computer suites. Modular buildings
would be ideal, pre-fabricated offsite and assembled quickly. These sentiments are also echoed in Finland, where library
architecture enjoys a very high status, with one commentator
Finally, the 'Walled Garden' library cleaves to the traditional noting that today 'the public library building has come to be
notion of the academic library as a place apart from the press of regarded as highly complex with multiple social and cultural
everyday life, a sanctuary of quiet and disinterested intellectual functions; and no longer is any single model for it considered
values, remote from either commercial interests or public policy plausible' (Mehtonen, 2011: 164).
agendas, and a place where the imagination - but also and
including scientific innovation and discovery - might flourish,
which itself would ultimately benefit the wider society. Here the
architectural imagination could take wing, providing an inward- LIBRARIES, OLD AND NEW
looking collection of large and small spaces, cloistered possibly
around a central courtyard, with strict rules of entry, but liberal The evolution of library architecture is one of the most
freedom of movement allowed inside: access all areas to the fascinating stories in the wider history of architectural adaptation
illuminati! and change. Such a story could be told at length - and has been
- but it can also be represented schematically (see Table 1.1).
Clearly, none of these scenarios is like to take shape entirely When I first proposed this schema, as a mildly provocative
within any single library, and one can see how a number of new aide-memoire, I assumed that people would not take it as being
campus libraries already contain clear elements of each, though literal. Alas some did. It was intended to be suggestive and ideal-
in different proportions. But the scenario planning is a good typical, not definitively true.
aide-memoire when discussing the programme for a new academic
library, and should be appreciated and valued as such for all those The new libraries and radical refurbishments detailed in this book
involved in current and future academic library provision and all contain elements of this major shift to a wholly new way of
planning. thinking about library design and the services it is seeking to
achieve. Nevertheless, every decade or so a new library exerts
With regard to the public library, a similarly dramatic a particular hold on the imagination of all of those who love
programmatic transformation from a building designed almost libraries, wherever they live in the world, and in recent decades
exclusively to house a collection of books and other research the King's Norton Library at Cranfield University by Sir Norman
materials for public access, to a building which emphasises Foster + Partners (U K, 1992), the new extension to Malmo Library
its social role as a hub of self-learning and enquiry (and as by Danish architect, Henning Larsen (Sweden, 1997), Delft's
a meeting places for groups and individuals, and as a venue Technical University Library by Mecanoo (Netherlands, 1997),
for talks and discussions about literature, ideas, professional Peckham Library by Alsop & Stormer (UK, 2000), Norwich Public
development and even job opportunities), has enormous Library by Michael Hopkins & Partners (U K, 2001), the Seattle
architectural implications. Many of these new libraries are no Central Library by Rem Koolhaas & OMA (USA, 2004), J.M.Coenen's
longer foursquare neo-classical buildings with an imposing facade Amsterdam Library (Netherlands, 2007) and most recently
and entrance hall, but are sequences of brightly lit spaces, some Aberdeen University Library by schmidt/hammer/lassen (Scotland,
highly public, others discreet and personal. As Shannon Mattern 2011) have all set new benchmarks for design and understanding
has noted: how libraries must now work to meet the demands of students
and citizens today. I believe that Piers Gough's Canada Water
Libraries continue to be relevant - vital - public institutions. Library and Studio Egret West's Clapham Library will also enjoy
And this vitality is now encoded in new physical forms. similar prestige and acclaim. Shortly to come are major new
Unlike their turn-of-the-twentieth-century and mid-century libraries in Aarhus (Denmark), Birmingham (UK), Oslo (Norway),
predecessors, today's libraries do no fit a mould. In fact, Caen (France) and Helsinki (Finland).

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

Table 1.1 Traditional library architecture and contemporary library architecture selected areas too), have clearly identified routes with
their own architectural language, have distant views as well
Traditional Library Modern Library as close desk ones and, as a consequence, more organic
Architecture Arch itectu re configuration. Functionally, the computing and book material
Neo-Classical pattern-book Modern free-style is integrated so the reader can move readily between both
types of information.
Imposing steps and entrance Street-level, retail entrances
(Edwards, 2009: 253)
halls

Needs of disabled people Good disability access Table 1.2 Changing enVIronmental strategies In the design of libraries

unmet
Time period Daylight Ventilation
Domes and rotunda Atria and ground-floor cafes
18th century Natural light, shallow Natural ventilation,
Galleries and mezzanines Escalators & lifts plan perimeter windows

Clerestory light Atrium light 19th century Natural light, roof-lit Natural ventilation,

Restricted access to books Open access to books & deep plan perimeter & roof

other materials cross-venti I

Bookshelves requiring ladders Bookshelves at human scale 20th century Artificial light, deep Air-conditioning &
plan mechanical ventilation
Temple of knowledge The 'living room in the city'
21 0t century Natural light, roof-lit, Nat vent, mixed-mode,
Institutional furn iture Domestic or 'club' furniture
light-shelves solar chimneys
Stand alone service Shared space with other
(Edwards, 2009: 85)
services

Hierarchical design & circulation Open-plan design & Not only are the external appearances of the new libraries
circulation changing. The internal layout of the library is also being
Canonical stock-holding Contemporary cultural reconfigured, from a highly compartmentalised and differentially
market-place regulated set of discrete spaces, towards a more open-plan,
exploratory set of 'zones and hubs'. As a result the working
Individual study carrels Seminar rooms and
practices and skills of those working in libraries are changing too.
computer suites
The introduction of self-service machines enables staff to come
Defensive space Networked space out from behind the issues and returns desk and meet and greet
Librarians as knowledge Librarians as knowledge
visitors, guiding them towards the services they require. The role
custodians navigators and status of the library user is changing too, and in the course
of researching this book, one architect told me that he quickly
The rule of silence A culture of mutual respect
learned that 'there is no typical library user any more:

Brian Edwards has proposed a briefer but no less helpful and In the 1980s it seemed necessary to describe those who used
suggestive schema for understanding the history of library design, libraries as 'customers', representing the introduction of market
in Table 1.2. disciplines and relationships into public services. Today there is
some move to altering the terminology yet again, perhaps more
Edwards concludes: positively. Brian Gambles, who has spearheaded the development
of the new library in Birmingham, likely to become the largest
More recent library designs have almost reversed the public library in Europe, prefers to think of those who will use
principles upon which earlier generations of buildings were it as 'members'. The library of the future will act more as a club,
based. The question of orientation and legibility on the he claims, bringing both a sense of belonging and benefits of
one hand, and access to natural light, view and ventilation membership to the relationship, rather than the instrumental
on the other, has allowed library typology to go through transactionalism of the 'customer-provider relationship. He says
a profound change. Most recent libraries are shallow (as he wants the new library to 'foster that sense of community
against deep) in plan, have a variety of types of space ownership of the physical space'. It thus becomes a destination
inside, have daylight throughout (and often sunlight in building as much as a service centre.

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 A city with a great library is a great city

Birmingham: Library of Birmingham

Opening date: Summer 2013 The present building

Client: Birmingham City Council
Architect: Mecanoo Architecten The present Birmingham Central Library was designed by
Project description: Public library, exhibition and performance architect John Madin in a monumental and consciously
space. 'brutalist' style, and opened in 1974 as part of a development
Library size: 31,000 square metres called Paradise Circus, close to the other major civic
Cost: £189 million buildings. At the time it was said to be the largest civic
Stock: 2 million books, 3m photographic images and 6,000 lib rary in Europe. The buildin g dominated what was then
archive collections an under-developed site, with much later development
Visitor numbers expected: up to 15,000 per day. (1990s) enclosing within its interior courtyard a shopping

Figure 1.11 Central Library. Birm ingham . by architect John Madm. opened In 1974. now due for demo litton

Figure 1.12 Library o' Birmingham: Image of front elevat ion at night Figure 1.13 Computer-gene rated Image of the new Library of
(Credit: Hayes Davidson) Birm ingham In Its Centenary Square setting (Credit: Hayes Davidson)

14 15
Contemporary Library Architecture

mall mostly occ upied by pubs, cafes and fast-food Repertory Theatre, the Natio nal Co nventio n Centre and
outlets. The main entrance faces across a stepped public Brindleyp lace to the west of Cente nary Square. A new library
amphitheatre in Chamberlain Sq uare to the former Town - or 'people's palace' as its architect, Franci ne Houben, ca lls
Hall (designed to imitate a Roman temp le by J.A. Hansom it - would complete the major regeneration of this area,
and Edward Welch in the 1830s), and to the Birmingham creating one of the la rgest cu ltura l districts of any major
Museum & Art Ga llery. Th ese so uth-faci ng steps have always European city.
provided a popu lar meeting place and sitti ng out area in t he
city centre.
The new building
Though not always loved by the public, the unusual
and memorable style of the bui lding, principa lly a vast, Seve n architectural practices were selected thro ugh a
fo ur-sq uare, upturned ziggurat, dominated the skyline from competi tive process to discuss how they mig ht approach
the west, and th e curved entra nce pavilion also gave it a th e question of design ing an exemp lary building on a
distincti ve look when approac hed from the sout h - where the difficult site. These fi rms were short-listed on the basis of a
ma in entrance is located . Both English Heritage and the detailed submission including t heir track record - whether
Twentiet h Century Society fo ught lo ng and hard to have in library or related architectural achievement (includin g
the building listed for its sin gu lar co ntri bution to twentieth public realm projects) - and a number of differen t practices'
century Bri tish arc hitectu re, but without success, and the earlier projects were visited by politicia ns and city council
old library is due to be demolished after 2013, once the new officers. The Dutch fi rm, Meca noo, were selected for
building opens close by. th eir ability to fully understand what the Co unci l wanted
to achieve, and in t heir imaginative respo nse to the fi nal
Despite its severe appea rance and modest fro nt entra nce, the brief.
old library was one of the busiest in the UK, attracti ng up
to 5,000 visits a day. Lending library services were spread Ce ntral to the design is the wish to relate the library
over several floo rs, with the reference sections to the west interior to the popu lar public life of Centenary Squa re
of the building, looki ng inwa rds, and creating a rather itself. 'Bri nging t he outside in' and 'Brin gin g the inside out'
cloistered - and appropriately secluded and reflective - space were proposed in the brief. This idea was allied to the very
according to many of its users. A series of semi-enclosed strong aspiratio n that anyone ente rin g the Library must
escalators too k library users fro m one floor to the next. fee l that they are emba rking on a journey, in which eve nts,
This large complex also housed a 250 seat library theatre, a places and expe riences un fo ld as visitors move thro ugh the
pioneering 'Centre of the Ch ild' on the ground floor (created buildin g, along with a sense of delight and sur prise. The
to make up for the fact that in the origi nal design the traditio nal spatial and regu latory di vide between 'lendi ng'
children's library in the basement had been somethi ng of an and 'reference' fu nctio ns is now abandoned - as increasing ly
afterthought), extensive photographic and document archives, happens in most new public libraries today - in fa vour
business library and a large number of specialist book of 'broad th ematic subject groupings or zones and hubs'.
collections. Se lf-se rvice for checking in and out lendi ng materia ls is now
th e no rm, and Library sta ff will adopt a much more inter-
A number of factors co ntributed to th e decision by active ro le with visitors, 'offe ri ng advice, support, mentori ng
Birmingham City Co uncil to deve lop a new Library. One was and guidance; t his will influence th e design of floor layouts:
that the existing library buildin g was in dire need of repair, In short, t he forme r, high ly compa rtmenta lised library with
and valuable collections were being slow ly damaged by its fixed service points and highly regu lated staff/visitor
inappropriate environmental conservatio n co nditions within; re lationship is clea rly giving way to a much more flexib le
it was estimated that repairing the building might well series of spa ces whe re the visito r is now la rgely responsible for
have cost as much as building anew. Of equa l importance his or her own use of the faci lities, in a more exp lora tory and
was that th e origi nal Paradise Circus development itse lf informa l way.
now blocked th e vita l con nectivity of a wholly new and
free-flowing quarter encompassin g the historic bui ldi ngs However, it is recognised that this flexibility needs to be
of the Cathedra l, Co un cil House, former Tow n Hall, Museum tempered by the fact that 'pa rts of the buildin g may need to
& Art Gallery, with the refurbishment of th e Birmingham be open 24 hou rs a day, for example loa n return s and some

16 17
 A city with a great library is a great city

study space'. Furthermore there are security issues which also The library will become a central element in a cluster
require clear boundaries: of nearby cultural facilities, including t he International
Convention Centre, the Symphony Hall, Birming ham Town
All visitors leaving the Library of Birmingham must cross Hall (now a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue),
a security line that screens for items not authorised to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Birmingham
be removed from the building. The provision of security Repertory Theatre and the Ikon Gallery. In a way the library
screening will be com plicated by movement between also has to act as a gateway and information service for all
areas within the development including the lending and these other fa cilities and their programmes.
reference areas, the archive and heritage centre, front
and back of house, the library, the theatre and the shared
facilities. Differing levels of security will be required
in different parts of the building. For example, in the MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE NEW BUILDING
archives and heritage centre, access to rare and fragile DESIGN
materials must be in a controlled and secure manner.
Dealing with security issues effectively yet sensitively The new library will occupy 10 floors, including a lower ground
will be fundamental to the overall appeal of the Library of floor which extends into an underground amphitheatre in
Birmingham. Ce ntenary Square - open to spectators through a large viewing
area at ground level. The children's library will be here, though
The differentiation of space, both for security but as a result of the roofless amphitheatre close by and light
also for programmatic reasons, raises a major issue of from the triple-height floor-to-ceiling-glazing , will still have
architectural philosophy, which was expressed in the design a lot of natural lighting. A set of soft-furnished terraced steps
brief: end -stop one end of the children's library providing a large,
but highly individualised reading area . Th e top floor consists
At the heart of this challenge also lies the key of the Shakespea re Memorial Library housed in a rotunda. Most
architectural issue about whether it is possible or even of these floors are visually connected to each other through
desirable to create 'universal' library space, unifying sight-lines across balconies, large atrium spaces, esca lators
materia l into a comprehensive whole, or whether modern (som e suspended across open voids), so the whole is certain ly
demands require ever more specific and fragmented a dynamic pub lic experience.
environments.
The building has a prominent entrance on Centenary Squa re -
In short, is the new library to be experienced as an served by wide revolving glass doors - and there is a hall on
integrated whole, or is it to be experienced as an assembly of the interm ediate floor which serves as a connecting gallery
different elements? Will 'the libraryness of library buildings' between the library and the adjacent Birmingham Repertory
disappear? Theatre. Two floors are being designed as the 'go lden box'
where the most valuable archives are securely held and
The library will hold some 2 million book items, 150,000 protected, but including an exhibition space where a changing
of which will be available for loan, and another 250,000 display of archive material will be made available to the
reference items on public accessible shelves. There are a public.
number of other distinct collections which have to be treated
with special regard, including the Shakespeare Library, Rare The dramatic external appearance of the library is en hanced
Books, the photography collection, amongst others. Then of by the use of an aluminium frieze in black and white covering
course there is a separate children's library which will need to most of the exte rior cladding. At levels five and six this is
have its own ethos and security protocols. In addition there co mplemented by a gold-coloured anodised rainscreen system
will be shared auditorium and conference facilities, open which co ntributes to the climatically controlled environment
access computer suites and work-stations, meeting rooms, within for the archive co llections. The ground floor, double-
exhibition areas and non-public offices. The library will include height facade is transparent glazing.
a British Film Institute Mediatheque. Whether these can all be
wrapped up in a single 'uni versal' design code, remains to be The library will feature two externa l terraces: a full- width
seen. 12- metre deep terrace at third floor level overlooking

16 17
Contemporary Library Architecture

Centenary Square and a sma ller rear terrace at seventh floor

level. The top floor will have a public viewi ng ga llery. All these
help bri ng the city and the library together as a continuo us
experience, as, it is hoped, will the roofless amphitheatre
located at basement level which can be viewed by passers-by
looking down from Centenary Sq uare. Th is is a bold move
and will require carefu l management, as traditionally open
voids in large public areas ha ve sometimes been badly
misused.

The Library of Birming ham is due to open in 2013, and

is currently on target. The building was 'topped out' on
14 September 2011, by th e Leader of the Cou ncil, and a
performance was given in th e amph ith eatre. Th is is almost
certain ly the most eagerly awaited new pub lic li brary
building in the UK, and beyond, for ma ny years, and in
some ways upon its success depends the co nti nui ng releva nce
of the city library as a centra l feat ure of ur ban life and
democracy.

Fig ure 1.14 Library of B,r I g am: Image 0 bookwall ro nda (Credit:
Hayes aVldson)

Figure 1.15 Library 0' Birmingham: Image of publIC amphlt eatre (CredIt: Hayes Davldso )

18 19
 A city with a great library is a great city

THE LAST GOOD PLACE? systems, the public to experience the democratic ideals of
the public library and students to engage in the pedagogical
The space of the library therefore gains even greater symbolic value of the university library. Space, and how it is variously
value. Once embodying enlightenment values and the spirit of treated, is as important as the book.
self-improvement, it now also represents shared or collective (Edwards, 2009: 7)
values too. In some ways it is 'the last good place' in an
overwhelmingly commercialised urban environment, and is The current project to transform the interior of Manchester's
increasingly seen and appreciated as such. For Brian Edwards: famous 1930s circular library is 'to increase the amount of
public space; according to the Head of Libraries, Information
The shifting politics of power in the library has been to the and Archives. 'We have created a new ground floor and added
advantage of architectural space. As the importance of the an additional 2,200 square metres in the lower ground floor of
reader has grown under the influences of falling book prices, the Town Hall Extension. The new design is more focused on
and the ever-lowering cost of information technology, so how individuals will use the space, rather than where we put the
there has been a growing recognition of the value of space books' (Raven, 2011: 35). This creation of a new kind of public
as the medium of interchange. Space allows staff and readers agora has been very successfully achieved on the ground floor of
to exchange, readers to interface with books and digital Glasgow's historic Mitchell Library.

Glasgow: The M itche ll Library

Opened 1911 & refurbished 2004

Client: Glasgow City Council
Architect: Glasgow City Council
Project description: Major refurbishment of ground ft.oor
library plaza

Glasgow's famous Mitchell Library - the largest public

reference library in Europe - occupies a whole block of
a major urban grid, though it is a composite of different
buildings from different eras. The principal entrance of the
original library building faces east, with a distinctive copper
dome surmounting a classical facade. This was designed by
William B. White and opened in 1911. Alas this entrance
area is somewhat truncated and reduced in space by a dual
carriageway which passes close by. At the rear of the block is
the heroic facade of what was once St Andrew's Hall, designed
by James Sellars and opened in 1877. This now operates as
the main entrance of the building and, together with the
large intermediate extension created between 1972 and 1980,
is now fu lly incorporated into the Mitchell Library proper.
Indudi ng various mezza ni nes, the bui ldi ng consi sts of 13
ft.oors.

In the life of the city the Mitchell Library played a grand Figure 1 .16 Main easte rn entrance of M itchell Library, Glasgow, deS igned
but declining role. Along with many oth er Glasgow public by W illi am B. White, opened In 1911

libraries, the service was reaching fewer and fewer people,

and in the 1990s the city council decided to review th e library and soug ht to lea rn from their design appeal. They also
service, seeking to renew its appeal to the wider public and realised t hey had to offer much greater public access to ICT,
arrest the decline in user numbers. Senior library management particularly for t hose who cou ld not afford their own personal
realised the appeal of the new wave of 'lifestyle bookshops', computers.

18 19
Contemporary Library Architecture

The major refurbishment

refurbishment of the ground floor of the entire Re-opened in i n 2004, the ground floor of tthe he library
L
Library
ibra ry has become
building was underta ken by the
undertaken t he Forward
Forwa rd PL Planning
anning & another example
exampLe
exam pLe of a very successful
successfuL 'living
'Living room in tthehe city',
Major Projects Team of GL Glasgow
asgow City Counci
Council,L, with
wi th some
so me as well
weLL as a pop popular
uLa r meeting place,
popuLar pLace, exhibition gallery and arts
gaLLery and
design consuLtancy advice. The effect has been dramatic. venue.
ven OnLy
ue. On Ly the materia Ls were used iinn the refurbis
t he best materiaLs refurbishment,
hment,
A
A dark, deep, monumenta
monumentaLLinterior has been been re-desig
re-designedned iincluding beautiful
ncluding beautifuL
bea utifuL parquet floors, elegant
eLegant staircases
stai rcases and
as a brightly-L
brightly-lit
it indoor street and pL
brightly-Lit plaza,
aza, with
with a stylish
stylish
styLi
styLish
sh gaLLeries, fine
galleries, lighting.. Most importantly, the once
fi ne modern Lighting
cafe -restaurant, extensive computer suite
cafe-restaurant, sui te & L learning
earni
earninngg centre, solid
soLid southern
so ut hern wall replaced
waLLLL has been repL
wa aced by a continuous
repLaced co nti nuo us floor
floo r to
lending library and art gallery,
Lending Library LLery, artfully
gaLLery,
ga artfuLly
artfu L Ly negotiating tthree
LLy hree gLazed
ceiling gL azed facade which light
which provides Light
Lig ht and movement
movement to
different ground floor levels
Levels as it leads
Leads from
fro m east to west. tthe public iinterior.
he great pubLic interior.
nterior.

Figure 1.17 Gro und fl oor fictio n se ctio n of refurbished Mitche ll Library, Figure 1.18 Busy ground fl oor cafe and read ing are a of Mitche ll library,
Library,
G lasgow Glasgow, re·deslgned and refurb ished ,n 2004

Figure 1.19
1.1 9 The heroIc 0 what was once St Andrew's Hall, designed by Ja
heroic facade of James
mes Sell
ames ars and opened in
Sellars In 1877, now forming the western entrance of
0
Mitchell
Mitchel
hel'l Library, Glasgow
Mitchel'
Mitc

20 21
 A city with a great library is a great city

Library space is always more than just Cartesian volume or Despite publicity given to stories of cuts to library services and
empty air. It is imbued with values that have taken centuries to library closures in many parts of the UK - especially amongst the
develop and sustain - particularly free speech and the belief that smaller village or community libraries - it is still the case that in
knowledge is itself powerful - and is especially precious. Those the UK 40 per cent of all adults continue to use public libraries
who have visited Hans Scharoun's State Library in Berlin may as do 78 per cent of children aged 5-10. While it is true that the
well agree with Peter Blundell Jones' statement that 'the library smaller branch libraries are struggling for funds, with a number
interior will be marvelled at as the work of one of the greatest facing closure, the modernisation or re-building of the town or
spatial conceptions the world has yet seen' (Jones, 1979: 334). city centre library is still at the centre of much urban thinking.
The sequencing of reading spaces, open floors, mezzanine floors, In the course of writing this book, at least six new libraries
ceremonial staircases, is breathtaking, even in photographs (or, have opened in London alone, most of them of considerable
equally memorably, in Wim Wenders' film, 'Wings of Desire'). architectural ingenuity:

As is now realised, space itself is an agent of change - which • Canada Water, Southwark (CZWG Architects)
is not the same thing as subscribing to a belief in architectural
• Clapham One (Studio Egret West)
determinism - and in modern urban conditions the space
constructed by the public library is becoming even more vital as a • Dagenham (ArchitecturePLB)
public setting. Some critics assume that because modern libraries
• C.L.R.James Library, Dalston, Hackney (Earle Architects)
devote so much space to non-book items and amenities, this is
directly due to a major reduction in book stock. In most cases • Enfield (Shepheard Epstein Hunter)
this is not true; rather it is that additional space is now required
• Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith & Fulham (FaulknerBrowns).
for other services, including IT training centres, classrooms,
cafes, exhibition spaces, and so on. According to the Seattle
While it is right to defend the network of older libraries against
design team, the library book stock took up just 28 per cent of
arbitrary local authority cost-cutting exercises, it is also equally
the overall space - leaving room for many other activities and
important to promote and celebrate these new models of library
services.
provision.

Figure 1.20 Canada Water Library, Southwark, London, designed by Piers Gough of CZWG, opened In 2011, integrating Docklands and Underground railway
connections

20 21
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 1.21 Exterior of Clapham library by Studio Egret West, Figure 1.22 C. L. R. James library, Dalston, London Borough of Hackney, designed by
opened 2012, combining apartments, health centre and public library Earle Architects, opened In 2012

Figure 1.23 Dagenham Library, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, designed by Arch,tecturePLB, opened In 2010

22 23
 A city with a great library is a great city

Figure 1.24 Extension to Enfield Library, London Borough of Enfield, designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter

Figure 1.25 Shepherd's Bush Library, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, part-designed by FaulknerBrowns, opened In 2009

22 23
Contemporary Library Architecture

Clapham Library, Lambeth

Opened: 2012 The basement floor, which is essentially the public agora, is
Client: London Borough of Lambeth principally to be used as the children's library, though it can
Architect.: Studio Egret West quickly be adapted for other uses. This is vital. for the key
Project description: public library & meeting rooms within a motif of the design is the library as a kind of Shakespearian
larger development including housing and health centre globe theatre - a performance space as well as a stock-holding
Library size: 1,900 sq uare metres public library. This is a very bold design, highly dynamic, and
Cost: £4 million it will be interesting to see how people adapt to its innovative
shape and structure.
Clapham Library is part of a larger mixed use development
designed by architects Studio Egret West, consisting of a high The wall of the drum is opened up at frequent intervals by
street public library, cafe, health centre and 136 apartments large, irregularly shaped apertures, and some of these cut-out
in a striking high rise assembly of moulded structures which shapes are reproduced as suspended ceiling features, also
brings a new energy to Clapham Hig h Street. Development and echoed in the constructivist configuration of the mobile book
funding came from the partnership of Lambeth Council and units in the children's library on the drum floor. Throughout
developers Cathedral (Clapham) Ltd. the building sight-lines are kaleidoscopic, as one moves
through a series of irregular openings. A large white concrete
The interior of the library consists of a large three-storey spiral staircase occupies one edge of the interior atrium,
oval atrium - basement to first floor - around which slowly adding yet another element of high energy to what is a very
rises a ramp taking library users along the book-lined spiral.

Figure 1.26 Clapham Library stree- level entra ce, fronted by public sculpture by Andrew Loga spe lltng out IBRA Y In free·standlng sculpted leners

24 25
 A city with a great library is a great city

dramatic re-interpretation of the library as a public arena. All The public library fronts directly on to the busy Clapham High
interior walls are white, and floors are polished wood. Street. It presents an attractive set of sliding glazed doors to
visitors who, once inside the entrance hall can also choose
There are also a number of breakout areas, side-rooms and to go into the health centre which shares the same entrance.
sanctuary spaces, where people can read quietly, work on Some people will want to use both facilities on the same visit,
computers, have a coffee and read the newspapers, or retreat which they can easily do, while having a coffee in between.
to their own bookish or private worlds. Principal architect,
Christophe Egret, has worked on libraries before, and was The design has achieved an 'Excellent rating in the Building
centrally involved in the design of Peckham Library when he for Life assessment process, and a BREEAM rating of 'Very
worked at Alsop & Stormer. Good'.

Figure 1.27 Drawing by architect Chri stophe Egret of proposed main atrium
hall at Clapham Library

Figure 1.28 Interior a new Clap ham library, opened 2012; bo ld mas sing
on a busy thoroughfare, combmlng apartment s, hea lth centre and public
library. Designed by Stud iO Egret West

DO THE RIGHT THING been being built over the past decade in something of a national
mania, there has been a default approach which says that, if in
The decision to embark upon the design and construction of a doubt, hire a brand-name architect to do the job. This does not
new public library is a major public decision. The purpose of always work:
this book is to help those involved in such decisions to get it
right - or as right as it can ever be. The easiest choice is to Choosing a star architect, which a large number of (US)
build something very similar to the old library, but bigger and library committees have done over the years, will not solve a
brighter, or engage a famous architect and hope for the best. library's or a city's problems, of course. An architect cannot
More rewarding for all concerned - funding bodies, politicians, correct for poor management, a paltry collection, or lack
library staff, library users, architects and designers - is to find a of financial support, not can he or she promise to lead an
way of working together to create something very special which urban renaissance, to bring patrons to an unsafe downtown
could only be done on that particular site in that particular town with no parking and poor public transit. Particularly when an
or city. Only a reflexive, problem-solving approach can achieve architect insists on working hermetically or interacting only
this. In North America, where big-budget civic libraries have superficially with the library planners, the building is bound

24 25
 Contemporary Library Architecture

to be more of a homage to the designer than an important

civic structure or a well functioning library. A public library
is far too important a building and it has far too complex a
program to ask an architect to work his or her magic without
the benefit of regular interaction with a strong client.
(Mattern 2007: 24)

Increasing numbers of senior library professional and local

politicians in the UK are raising their sights, and travelling
abroad to see a range of new library buildings which will help
them focus on what it is they need and want to do back at
home. The traditional architectural competition approach to
selecting the design team is changing too, becoming a more
negotiated arrangement, with more emphasis on the shared vision
which both client and architect are seeking to achieve rather
than picking out a 'winning' design from a set of pre-arranged
drawings and templates, and then sitting back and waiting until
construction is finished.

Most new libraries are open-plan, often occupying several floors

connected by lifts and escalators, built around an atrium which
allows as much natural light into the interior as is possible -
though Flushing Library in Queens, New York sticks to a deep
floor plan. Krystalgade Library in Copenhagen is a classic early
example of this configuration. Neon lighting and ceiling tiles are
out, brightly coloured armchairs and individualised task lighting
are in. The temple of learning is becoming the living room in the
city, as well as 'the living lab', according to the 2011 Helsinki Figure 1.29 Krystalgade Library, Copenhagen, an early example of the grand
conference on 'The Future Library: This latter term now seems library atrium

Figure 1.30 Deep plan interior of Flushing Library (Queens Public library) designed by Polsheck Partnership (Photo: Nick Darton)

26 27
 A city with a great library is a great city

to be gaining ground amongst library professionals across the One design principle which can work against this idea of the
world, as they seek a concise way of summarising what the multi- library space - or part of it at least - as an urban living room,
media, exploratory nature of modern technology now demands is an equally powerful tendency to design the interior spaces
of its public setting. The proposal for a new library in Aarhus in around an atrium. While this can produce stunning and highly
Denmark, to be completed by 2015 and designed by schmidt/ transparent interiors, in which users can at a glance see all
hammer/lassen architects, is to be called Urban Mediaspace the floors and the escalators and lifts to access them - as it
Aarhus, of which the library is just one component of an assembly most sensationally does at schmidt/hammer/lassen's University
of different spaces and activities. Library in Aberdeen - it can render the idea of sanctuary space

Figure 1.31 The multi-level atrium at Aberdeen University library, designed by schmidt/hammer/lassen

26 27
 Contemporary Library Architecture

problematic. Certain ly the ground floor becomes a public arena Modern libraries are not only changing the patterns of library
rather than a public lounge or quiet place. Rem Koolhaas has use - along with attracting a much younger audience - but
been highly critical of the cult of the atrium in recent years, are also radically changing the way staff have to work. Large
referring to them as 'voided panopticons', but there is no doubt formal reception desks or issue desks are disappearing, replaced
that in some libraries they work very well to continue the life and by satellite information kiosks or 'hot desks' which library staff
vitality of the street - as in Newcastle-upon-Tyne's new building, can use as and when needed, and when they are not circulating
or in Rotterdam's main library - but in other places, there can be amongst users or re-filling shelves and answering reader queries.
a feeling of wasted space or emptiness when the library is not Dutch architect Wiel Arets makes the point that in the new library
busy - along with the transmission of too much extraneous noise 'the staff should be able to see that they are working in a library,
(or catering odours) from one floor to the next. not just any old office building: Too often in the past staff have
been confined to dark basement rooms or attic rooms where they
An additional reason why libraries are enjoying an increasing process books or undertake administrative tasks wholly cut off
urban profile is because they provide a crucial space for that most from the ethos of the public building.
important requirement of the modern town or city - the need for
people to update their knowledge and keep abreast of ideas and As we shall shortly discover, surveys of library staff attitudes
information. Apart from the growing percentage of the population reveal that the quality of the building is a key factor conditioning
now engaged in some form of higher or continuing education (as their attitude to their work. New library architecture not only
well as professional development), white-collar work is what most attracts a younger audience to this vital form of public provision,
urban dwellers do these days, and they will always 'hanker after but also brings added status and self-esteem to those working
public spaces to enrich the task' (Boddy, 2006: 45). The public in these new settings. This in turn can only improve the service
library is now a quintessential work-space for many people, and for the public while contributing to the ideal that not only
thus has vital economic importance, even though this has yet to has the library a distinguished past it also has a dynamic and
be realised by many local and national politicians. economically productive future.

Figure 1.32 Interior of Rotterdam library

28 29
 A city with a great library is a great city

Figure 1.33 Library of Birmingham: Image of section (Credit: Hayes Davidson)

28 29
PART 2

The libraryness
of libraries
s
CHAPTER 2

Libraries: the ‘sacred’

spaces of modernity
The development of the Library as a public building is almost as old as writing
itself. The early Libraries in Alexandria and the Ancient Near East were not only
storehouses of books, but were attached to museums and meeting places, and
acted as cultural centres in the cities. The rise of the large civic Libraries in
the second half of the nineteenth century across Europe and beyond became
symbolic of the enlightenment and the desire to spread knowledge to aLL
sections of society. They were part of an improving and moraLising culture
which found architectural form in imposing neo-cLassical buildings replete with
historical references. For many thinkers and writers, public Libraries were the
new cathedrals of the city. From their formation they were regarded as safe
and quiet places, distinct and separate from the pressures of daily life, where
self-improvement and study could flourish. In this world capturing the loyalty of
children to the Library ethos was often central to their mission.

The library is one of the oldest and most distinctive architectural contains six specialist libraries, four museums, eight academic
types in history. Many date the building type back to the famous research centres, fifteen permanent exhibitions, a planetarium and
library at Alexandria, said to contain over 700,000 books (scrolls other facilities. The historic tradition was renewed, demonstrating
in fact) before it was destroyed by fire in 48 Be. However, the power of the library ideal.
libraries existed in a number of other places in the 'Ancient Near
East' before even then. What is worth remembering about the Not only is the library a distinctive building type, it is also an
library at Alexandria - which has continued to influence the way 'archetype' and 'prototype' for the storing of knowledge and a
we think about these places today - was that the building itself progenitor of an amazing range of architectural forms (Markus,
(biblion, a place of books) was attached to a museum (mouseion, 2004: 172). Yet today, as the book's dominant position as the
a place dedicated to the Muses). This cultural precinct, in today's principal format for the dissemination of human knowledge is
terminology, offered, according to one historian, 'a composite challenged by the digital world of the Internet, so the library
model - part "think tank", part graduate school; part observatory too faces related challenges to prove its relevance and assure its
and part laboratory' (Macleod, 2004: 9). In short the library future.
was not just a place where scrolls and other artefacts were
collected, but was a meeting place and centre of intellectual While digital forms of production and dissemination are to
life for the city and well beyond. In 2002 a new library was be welcomed and embraced enthusiastically, the book as a
completed in Alexandria, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, designed popular cultural artefact and emblem of an educated and free
by the Norwegian architectural firm of Sn0hetta, which has had society is not going to disappear in the foreseeable future, if
the effect of re-connecting the library tradition in that part of ever at all. Nor will the traditional role of libraries as centres
the world back to its world-historical origins. The new complex of information-gathering and cultural dissemination disappear

32 33
 Libraries: the 'sacred' spaces of modernity

either. Of their many vital roles one is to act as an archive of world and people's relation to it. He honoured the power of
historical memory: a place where, as the writer John Berger once architecture by seeing it as intellectually rich in public meaning,
said in a radio discussion, 'we keep company with those who as well as socially cohesive.
have lived before: Indeed the design brief for the new Library
of Birmingham specifically identifies one of its key functions is Yet he was surely wrong in thinking that printing would supplant
acting as a 'Memory Bank': 'It will gather, preserve, present and architecture's distinctive ability to embody ideas. In fact many of
help interpret the collective memory and identity of the city and the new ideas about belief, power, social relations and democracy
its communities and surroundings: - exemplified in what came to be regarded as the condition
of modernity - equally required a new architecture to express
It is a public space where past, present and future fruitfully them. The rise of architectural modernism cannot be separated
meet. To fulfil this role, buildings are needed as much as books from the emergence of social democracy and the welfare state,
and other cultural records and materials. Nowhere is this critical especially in Europe. The public library is today as much a symbol
function more beautifully captured than in a short film by Alain of civil society and democracy as the medieval monastic library
Resnais, Tout La memoire du monde, made in 1956, where the was a symbol of a religious elite, and the eighteenth century
internal workings and architecture of the Bibliotheque National private library a symbol of privilege and personal wealth. Those
in Paris are explored in all their labyrinthine detail: the 60 miles who question the public library's place in the civic domain, or
of shelving, the basement stacks connected to each other by declare it redundant or superseded, are challenging the great
a Piranesian network of steel galleries and bridges, the many achievements of collective provision, public goods and the
and various reading rooms and specialist collections, in which vocabulary of citizenship too.
each individual reader gathers together exactly those books and
documents needed to produce that blissful state of personal Insofar as the book failed to displace architecture, as Hugo
'bonheur': the happiness of the reader in a library with everything predicted, it is equally reasonable to assume that the Internet
to hand and in perfect order. will not supplant the library either. Nevertheless, the changes

THE LIBRARY ARK

The relationship between books and buildings is more complex

than it looks at first sight. The French writer Victor Hugo
once suggested that the book had displaced the cathedral as
the source of belief and authority in society. It thus rendered
one of the principal functions of architecture - as a symbolic
representation of ideas - obsolete. Hugo's splendid chapter on the
relationship between architecture and printing in The Hunchback
of Notre Dame, called ominously, 'This will kill that', noted that
'the book of stone, so solid and so durable, was about to make
way for the book of paper, more solid and still more durable:

Hugo's argument was that until the invention of moveable type

and the printing press, churches and cathedrals had embodied the
great myths and religious stories in stone, frescoes, stained glass
- along with sacred scrolls and texts retained in the hands of the
priests - all contributing to 'the constant bending of all the forms
of men and of nature to the incomprehensible caprices of the
symbol: Gutenburg's invention changed all that, allowing many
different schools of thought to emerge and many new stories to
be told. While Hugo welcomed this liberation from the old forms,
he also understood just how powerful architecture had been in
symbolising different belief systems and in creating structures
of space that embodied ways of thinking and feeling about the Figure 2.1 Capital figure on former Cardiff Central Library

32 33
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 2.2 Sailors' Reading Room at Southwold, Suffolk Figure 2.3 Stockholm City Library, designed by architect Erik Asplund

produced by the 'networked society' will require the library emblazoned on the walls, as well as public sculptures. Think of
and the library building to be reconfigured architecturally and the great Stockholm City Library designed by Gunnar Asplund and
culturally in this new era of global information and digital completed in 1928: a long sweep of steps leads from the street
culture. The irony is that in the late nineteenth and twentieth up to the entrance doors, within which even steeper steps rise
centuries public libraries became, in effect, the new cathedrals within marble halls decorated with scenes from the Iliad in relief
or 'sacred spaces' of the modern world, as gathering places for designed by Ivar Johnsson, as if leading into an inner temple.
the culture of enlightenment and popular democracy. The Danish The two door handles to the main entrance consisted of sculpted
librarian, Jens Thorhauge, recently wrote that 'The Nordic public figures of Adam and Eve, suggesting Eden. On the exterior of the
library system was characterised by a close interplay between the building an extended frieze displays scenes from human history,
libraries and public enlightenment, along with a strong political ideographs, representations of work-tools and a range of motifs
commitment both locally and nationally to public libraries' and symbols offering a moral lesson to those passing by. The
(Thorhauge, 2002: 7). The public library thus emerged as both inner ceremonial staircase leading upwards towards the light at
symbol and emblem of a new political world. Stockholm is echoed in the grand staircases at Swiss Cottage
Library (Sir Basil Spence), Sheffield Western (Gollins Melvin Ward
In architectural terms there were often many similarities between and Partners, restored by Avanti Architects) and even to a degree
the old cathedrals and these new monumental civic halls: the library at Cranfield University (Foster + Partners).
imposing Gothic or Neo-Classical entrances, with facades often
displaying a frieze of symbolic figures, or niches containing On the other hand, developing the analogy between the
busts or sculptures of great literary of cultural figures, large great library and the cathedral means that it may also
atria or domed halls with clerestory lighting, works of art simultanously function as a mausoleum, an idea proposed

34 35
 Libraries: the 'sacred' spaces of modernity

Figure 2.4 Ceremonial staircase at SWISS Cottage Central library, designed by Sir Basil Spence, opened In 1964 and
refurbished by John McAslan & Partners In 2003

Figure 2.5 Ceremonial staircase at Sheffield Western library, designed by Goilins Melvin Ward and Partners, restored by Avantl
Architects

34 35
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 2.6 Ceremonial staircase at Cranfield University library, designed by Foster + Partners

by Roger Stonehouse in an essay on The British Library The solid wall facades of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina are also
at St Pancras, London, designed by Colin St John Wilson. imprinted with letters, symbols and ideographs from different
Stonehouse wrote that, 'The library is in one sense a tomb, cultures. Thus in many towns and cities throughout the world one of
a quasi-sacred repository for the safe keeping of its contents the most imposing public buildings to be found is the public library,
in perpetuity, but it is also an ark, saving its contents for whether old or new. The former public library in San Francisco,
the use and enlightenment of future generations' (Stonehouse opened in 1917 and designed by architect George Kelham, was
& Stromberg 2004: 49). Interestingly, the new public library famous for its 24 large inscriptions in the main entrance hall. These
at Canada Water, designed by Piers Gough and his CZWG quotations were from many literary and historical sources - though
practice, looks exactly like an ark, moored serenely beside the they were unattributed and gave much work for literary detectives
dockland waters. While unreservedly admiring the Canada Water in subsequent generations - and were commissioned by the
building, there are some elements of the outward appearance library's major patron, Edward Robeson Taylor, whose own personal
of the British Library that err towards producing a mausoleum motto was a saying by Seneca: VITA SINE UTERIS MORS EST (Life
effect, notably the entrance doors. These heavy, darkened glass without letters is death). A recent monograph on this unique
doors mounted in brass, and set in the monumental red-brick library building rightly draws connections between architecture
facade too readily bring to mind the Lenin Mausoleum in and lettering, which characterised some of the most important
Moscow. Fortunately the effect dissipates immediately once works of Roman architecture, and whose alphabetic script remains
inside the soaring public hall. unimproved (Stauffacher, 2003).

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 Libraries: the 'sacred' spaces of modernity

Many libraries tell a similar story. Islington Central Library, Thus there is some truth in the assertion that the public library
designed in 1907 by architect Henry T. Hare, displays sculptures in many ways displaced the role of the church as a space
of Francis Bacon and Edmund Spenser in niches on its main and centre of public memory throughout Europe in the late
facade, which is also decorated with carved stone wreathes, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as secularism and a culture
banners and other festive features. Hammersmith Public Library, of auto-didacticism took hold. Indeed these new trends became
also in London, is a Grade II listed building also designed by part of mainstream political culture in many new democracies.
H.T. Hare, with statues of Shakespeare and Milton adorning According to cultural historian, Graeme Evans, cultural provision
the outside, alongside stained glass windows depicting Bacon, became a key engine for civic development (and most certainly
Chaucer, Spenser and Erasmus. On one of the interior walls of the inter-city rivalry) in the Victorian era (Evans, 2001). Matthew
main lending library at Bethnal Green Library in east London, Arnold was only one of many eminent Victorian thinkers who
a beautiful red-brick building converted in 1921 by architect argued that by the end of the nineteenth century, literature had
A.E. Darby from the 1896 Bethnal House Asylum, are large replaced religion as the source of many people's spiritual beliefs.
plaster medallions of Karl Marx, William Morris, Charles Darwin In the 2012 public airing of views about proposals to re-design
and Richard Wagner, symbolising the great cultural heroes of the lower floors of New York Public Library, already mentioned,
an earlier period, rather like secular saints. The library also Library Trustee, Robert Darnton, actually referred to the 'sacred
contains a fine stained glass window memorialising the dead of space' of the building and his wish to uphold its role as 'the soul
the First and Second World Wars, and is set in its own grounds, of the city' (Darnton, 2012).
now a public park. In a range of library buildings from the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many facades were When the Danish architect Morten Schmidt gave a lecture on
decorated with motifs, friezes and carvings representing great library architecture at The Royal Academy in London in April
literary and intellectual figures, as well as uplifting maxims such 2010, discussing his practice's designs for The Royal Danish
as 'Knowledge is Power' and 'Let there be Light: Few can doubt National Library in Copenhagen (completed in 1999, and more
the moral impress of these Victorian buildings. commonly known as 'The Black Diamond'), he observed that in

Figure 2.7 Canada Water Library, Southwark, London, designed by Piers Gough of CZWG, occupying a key waterside site In former docklands

36 37
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 2.8 The 'Black Diamond' city library, an extension to the Royal Library of Copenhagen, designed by schmidt/hammer/lassen

today's society, 'Young people are not going to church - they are irreplaceable tradition of the book whilst embracing the new
going to the library' (Schmidt, 2010). He also spoke of a 'certain media and digital technology. All these traditions and trajectories
quiet authority' required by all library architecture as a part of its have to be embodied in a single building or linked set of spaces,
enduring identity. In Barcelona, architect Josep Llinas, designer which makes the library as a building type increasingly complex.
of the highly regarded Jaume Fuster Library in the northern part Furthermore it is the quintessential public building, 'open to all'
of the city, has drawn 'parallels between the library type and by prescript. Its design has to actively welcome people in through
the nature of sacred buildings ... when shaping this sequence of its doors, and offer them the possibility of new directions in life
spaces (at Jaume Fuster) he recalls how light and sound were and widening intellectual opportunities. Whereas many other
prioritised to control sound transmission between places of historic building types develop clear spatial functionalities over
silence and interchange, balancing light levels with both natural time for strictly demarcated constituencies of users, the library
and artificial sources' (Gregory, 2006: 64). has to imbue all its spaces both with a sense of pluralism as well
as universality. This is no small order.

What then is this 'libraryness' which continues to inform the

THE 'LiBRARYNESS' OF LIBRARY BUILDINGS design, use and public understanding of these unique places? The
foundations of the concept derive from the large-scale collection
Indeed this long-standing tradition of a distinct library aura - or of books arranged in order, in a building dedicated to their secure
what was once termed 'the libraryness of libraries' (Greenhalgh storage, conservation and accessibility - the very presence of
et at., 1995) - is something all architects and designers need books being sufficient enough to produce a contemplative or
to acknowledge from the outset. For libraries operate on the spiritual aura. Three of the great religions of the world - Judaism,
boundary between the secular and the sacred, between the Christianity and Islam - are all known as 'religions of the Book',
archival and the exploratory, and between upholding the where textual exegesis has constituted one of the principal means

38 39
 Libraries: the 'sacred' spaces of modernity

of sustaining religious belief. This exegetical role is something Durham, it was soon evident that many branch libraries also
the library always refers back to. We go in to look for one incorporated a local war memorial into their design, either as
thing and in the process find another. Everything, ultimately, is an entrance chamber commemorating the dead of past wars, or
connected to everything else. with a memorial feature in one of the reading rooms. In the new
Norwich Millennium Library, a room has been provided to hold the
The architectural critic and academic, Brian Lawson, picks Second Air Division Memorial Library, which honours the American
out libraries as the quintessential settings for public life and forces personnel based in East Anglia during the Second World
understanding of the rules established by design and history: War who lost their lives in the conflict. This deeply affecting
collection of books and artefacts is still visited in large numbers.
Settings, whether they are parts of special territories or not,
are important to us as ways of generating security. When At the other end of the spectrum, there is a long tradition in which
we enter a library, the scene is set, as we say. Even though retiring American presidents commission library buildings to house
we may never have been in this particular library before, we their personal collections of artefacts, books and archives, continuing
recognise the setting as a library. Along with that setting this role, though to less memorable effect. They are invariably
comes a sense of social norms that are not so much attached exercises in self-justification and also highly partisan, which is not
to a particular group as to the setting itself. In plain simple what one expects from a library. Architectural critic Deyan Sudjic,
terms, we know how to behave in a library. Without such
properties of space and settings, life would be unbearably
stressful.
(Lawson, 2001: 23)

Again we return to this notion that space itself is an agent

of change and civic identity. Books and libraries also imply a
life of contemplation and study, and the burning of books or
libraries has always been regarded as a monstrous attack on
people's most deeply held beliefs and values, as Robert Bevan
graphically illustrated in his study of architectural vandalism, The
Destruction of Memory (Bevan, 2006). One of the examples he
discusses was the deliberate Serbian bombing of the National and
University Library of Bosnia-Herzegovina in August 1992 which
destroyed the building and more than two million books and
documents, many of them dating back to the fifteenth century
and irreplaceable. In the aftermath of the bombing, he writes,
'Sa raj evans dodged snipers to form a human chain to rescue books
from the library' (Bevan, 2006: 37). In 2000 a UNESCO delegation
to Kosovo found that 'three central libraries were destroyed,
with 261,000 books burned; 62 provincial libraries destroyed,
with 638,000 books burned' (Baez: 2008). Battlefield wars have
often been accompanied by architectural and cultural wars, with
religious buildings, schools and libraries deliberately targeted and
destroyed in order to erase the cultural memory of a community
or of a people. Even an aesthetic avant-garde such as the Italian
Futurists in 1910 'published a manifesto in which they called
for the destruction of all libraries' (Baez: 2008). Such future-
oriented ideologies are always dangerous when they seek to throw
a blan ket of darkness over the past, or seek to induce forms of
public amnesia in the interests of a new political trajectory.

Thus library buildings themselves are frequently held to be

sacrosanct or precious, because of this memory-keeping role. Figure 2.9 Bold LIBRARY sign at Bascombe library, Bournemouth, a
Some years ago, during a series of visits to libraries in County development by Hawkins Brown, including apartments

38 39
 Contemporary Library Architecture

who has visited many, found them to be inherently self-aggrandising the very words "the Linen Hall Library" represent not just books,
and lacking in intellectual honesty or objectivity (Sudjic, 2006). but better hopes for the way we live. For a just, civilised and
inclusive society' (Morrison, 2002: 12). Another writer said that
The word UBRARY has often been emblematically engraved it 'has gained an almost sacred status in the history of Northern
or carved into the stonework of a building not only as a Ireland's capital city' (Morrison, 2002: 12).
decorative feature, but also as a means of evoking a very long
civic tradition, with all that the word symbolises and embodies While in the past librarians have exercised a degree of
in eliciting public memory, a matter which is dealt with again censorship or selectivity, especially on matters of sexual or
later. Yet there are a number of other attributes of libraries religious sensitivity, there is today a common assumption
which contribute to their atmosphere of inviolability, and which that they are there to provide access to the widest possible
those commissioning, planning, designing or constructing them range of views, beliefs and materials, as demonstrated by the
should not overlook, including a general presumption of public story of the Linen Hall Library. This slow change from being
quiet within (if no longer silence). For reading is still regarded in some sense moral missionaries of the word to becoming
as principally a silent activity, easily disrupted by extraneous enablers of self-development has its counterpart in Finnish
noise, as are other forms of individual study. Though many library culture, where after the Second World War, 'there was a
public libraries have become more relaxed about this rule it is gradual adjustment in the professional identity of librarians, who
still regarded as part of the modus operandi of the reference started to see their work more neutrally as the administration
library, and those other parts of the library made available of resources, rather than as part of public education with moral
for private study. Even in the busiest of towns and cities the aspirations' (Mehtonen, 2011: 162).
library continues to provide this role as a (relative) haven of
quietness and retreat, and here again we see some overlap with Librarians are regarded as being non-judgemental, unlike their
the historic role of the church as a place of quiet and sanctuary. counterparts in other cultural or commercial institutions, where
In the modern, high ly commercialised town or city centre, the partisan artistic positions are often adopted as a matter of
importance of such spaces cannot be overstated. Thus, in the principle. In this the public library's principles of selection differ
words of Brian Edwards, 'Those who design libraries have a from those of the commercial cultural market-place, which is
responsibility to convey "libraryness" through the manipulation geared to the rapid turnover of stock, with little room made
of form, space and light. A library fails in its social discourse if, available for the back catalogue or specialist interests. However,
no matter how functionally efficient, it does not evoke library in the age of the Internet, the use of public funds to provide
character' (Edwards, 2009: 246). the space and facilities to create unfettered access to all kinds
of unregulated material - pornography, extremist literature,
The public library also embodies in built form the principle of the abusive social networking sites - has brought some forms of
freedom of knowledge as a universal aspiration, and thus is open online monitoring and filtering into play. In the UK this has
to everybody and trusted to be free of censorship or political not provoked any great libertarian outrage, though in the USA
intrusion. It was a defining moment in the USA, in the aftermath questions of public 'censorship' are still fraught with difficulty.
of the 9/11 atrocity, when public librarians refused federal
security requests to provide details of individual book borrowings, The public library also largely operates on the principle that
a request which was regarded by the library profession as an access to such materials is for the most part free of charge,
over-reaching by government security interests. In Northern certainly for all materials accessed within the library. While there
Ireland in the mid-1990s, at a particularly fraught time during may be charges for CDs and DVDs on loan, and in the future may
'The Troubles', it was the public library alone of all the major be for downloading digital material on licence, the vast majority
community institutions - churches, schools, clubs, pubs, sports of the stock and the services offered - access to archives,
organisations, and even cemeteries - which remained free of historical records, family history materials, specialist collections
sectional pressures and interests, and became revered for this - remains free to users. It was for this reason that many
precious role. Nor could anyone who visited Belfast during those pioneering public libraries were specifically named 'Free Libraries:
times - as I often did - remain unaware of the role that the This principle thus also sets them against the increasingly
Linen Hall Library played in that city's life. Established in 1788 in commercialised environment within which they find themselves
the era of the Enlightenment, it continues to this day to act as a operating in city centres, and they are therefore one of the few
collecting centre and reference library for materials of all shades places which can be used and in habited by anybody at no cost.
of opinion in the life of the city, and as neutral meeting place This is particularly important for children and their families, as
for all those interested in its history. The poet Seamus Heaney well as young people, who remain amongst the public library's key
wrote that, 'In our cultural and in our historical understanding, users.

40 41
 Libraries: the 'sacred' spaces of modernity

It is often said that the acquisition of a library card is a child's With the rise of the branch library in the 1920s and onwards,
first induction into civil society. The importance of libraries to smaller libraries emphasised their 'domesticity' through the use
children's early interest in books and story-telling is incalculable, of potted plants, picture-hangings, armchairs and a stock-list
with research claiming that 'children who were taken to libraries that reflected the rise of suburban life and interests - in cookery,
as a child had significantly higher recent attendance rates than home-furnishings, romantic novels, as well as the classic literary
those who were not taken as a child' (Hodge, 2010: 21). The tradition. This inflection is now being lost as the once extensive
children's library has been of enormous symbolic importance to network of branch libraries is whittled away, and priority again
children and their families, providing a safe, second 'domestic returns to the larger, city centre libraries with their emphasis on
sphere' outside of the home, as is evident from the presence of information technology, archives, reference functions and the
carpets, toys, story-telling adults, and child-sized furniture. For general stock list.
immigrant families and their children, the public library is one
of the first places outside of home that they feel secure in using Even so, there is one area in which the public library has found a
(Greenhalgh et ai., 1995). However, in an age in which 'child thriving new 'domestic' role - as a home for book-reading groups.
protection' issues have become paramount, the architectural It was recently claimed that the number of library-led reading
problems associated with the design and management of the groups in England and Wales nearly trebled to 10,000 between
children's library - whether integrated into the larger adult library 2004 and 2008, and 100,000 people now belong to a reading
or designed as a separate space - have become increasingly group convened in a library. (Hodge, 2010) Thus the public library
complex, as is discussed later. demonstrates an ability to change to meet new 'public good'
obligations, with regard to the dissemination of information,
If the public library is seen as a safe place for children, it is literacy and culture, as and when new needs and technologies
also a place in which women early on found a new home in arise. When it comes to planning space in the new library, then
the city, and some early public libraries had separate male and flexibility is vital in order to accommodate these changing
female reading rooms. Glasgow's magnificent Mitchell Library opportunities.
still conserves the original decor of the Women's Reading Room,
though the interior has been adapted for other uses today.

Figure 2.10 Children's section at Sutton library, London (All rights reserved - London Borough of Sutton Library Services)

40 41
CHAPTER 3

What you see is what

you get: key elements of
library architecture
The first Victorian public Libraries were monuments to the ideal of municipal
reform and the rise of civic culture. In the great cities they often took the form
of monumental, neo-cLassical buildings, with flights of steps leading up to
imposing entrance doors, with highly regulated spaces within. Reading rooms
were often circular in design, aLLowing the world of human knowledge to be
taken in one long sweep, as weLL as making surveillance of the Library easier from
a central control desk. The very word 'LIBRARY' was regarded as an emblem of a
universal ideal, and of a building type that was central to the idea of democracy
and an educated citizenry. Over time Library design went through a number of
distinct phases, from the early Victorian 'Civic' buildings to the 'Welfare State'
Library, with other key moments in between. Today we are seeing emerge a new
kind of civic building, a meeting place for global technology, citizenship and
cultural democracy.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? THE PUBLIC FACE OF THE a burning belief in the value of learning, culture, information
LIBRARY and imaginative literature. This belief was also underwritten
by a high degree of ornamentation, which also paid homage,
It was the Public Libraries Act of 1850 (extended to Scotland through sculpture and heraldry, to national and imperial
and Ireland in 1853) which first paved the way for the great greatness.
library movement of the late Victorian era in Britain. Though (Black et ai., 2009: 344)
the new movement was slow to take off, when it did so this was
accomplished in style: monumental style. The reasons for this are The impulse to create these new powerhouses of knowledge
explained by library historians Alistair Black, Simon Pepper and was closely related to the new ideal of civic culture espoused
Kaye Bagshawe: by the Utilitarians and Philosophic Radicals, usually associated
with the figures of William Ewart and John Stuart Mill. These
The monumentality of early public library buildings was earnest radicals envisioned a newly enfranchised (male) working
not a mistake (although, to be sure, it is easy to find some class in urgent need of education and elevation if a more moral
examples of truly astonishing and bizarre buildings). The and self-disciplined society was to be achieved. This was not
highly artistic treatment of the vast majority of libraries - in without a degree of utilitarian cost-benefit analysis. As the
a wide variety of styles and freestyle concoctions - reflected economist W.S. Jevons argued at the time, the provision of free

42 43
 What you see is what you get: key elements of library architecture

public libraries (along with public museums, art galleries, parks, On a lovely summer day the steps are just full of people,
municipal clocks, et al.) could and should ultimately achieve a and it looks like a scene in Paris. There are these public
great deal of 'utility' at a very small cost (Black et aI., 2009: 31). spaces, but in Norwich there has never been that sort of
Such arguments continue to recur, even today, whereby advocates public space. I think it takes time for people to realise the
justify the support of public funding of arts and cultural provision potential of a space like that.
in terms of much larger civic and social benefits, especially in the (cited in Bryson et ai., 2003: 33)
form of urban regeneration.
Emphasis was also placed on the prominent display of the word
While many Neo-Classicallibraries and museums were entered up 'Library' above the entrance facade, a key motif of library exterior
a flight of monumental steps, their architects never envisaged design, already noted. The architects Alsop & Stormer made
that these steps would one day become a favourite meeting and great play with this, when they erected a very large 'LIBRARY'
'hanging out space' as they have so often become. Arrange to sign in bright, light-catching steel, on the roof of their high ly
meet anybody in New York and it is likely that they will suggest regarded library in Peckham, south London. ArchitecturePLB
meeting on the steps of the New York Public Library, a popular have done something similar at their new Dagenham Library,
gathering place guarded by the two stone lions, Patience and where the exterior library signage is strongly pronounced. Even
Fortitude. The same is just as true in Birmingham where, on a more dramatic is the use of the word BIBLIOTHEEK, almost as
fine day, it is still almost impossible at times to thread one's a structural device, above the corner entrance of a new library
way through the crowds of people sitting on the steps outside in Helmond, near Eindhoven in the Netherlands, designed by
the main library taking a break by watching the world go by. Bolles+Wilson, which opened in 2010. It is as if to say, if
Somewhat unanticipated, the design for the Norwich Millennium you've got this powerful word, flaunt it. And few words in the
Library has also brought a new element to Norwich life, as the Western lexicons carry as many rich associations as LIBRARY,
then Head of Library Services noted: BIBLIOTHEQUE, BUCHEREI and their linguistic variants. This is a

Figure 3.1 Steps of New York Public library, one of the city's great meeting places

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 3.2 Peckham Library designed by Alsop & Stormer, winner of 2000 Stirling PrIZe

Figure 3.3 Rotunda of the former British Library Reading Room In Bloomsbury, now vacated and used by the British Museum

44 45
 What you see is what you get: key elements of library architecture

cause for optimism about the future of the public library. For as private libraries as the principal form of the library, as well as in
Jens Thorhauge, Director-General of the Danish National Library James Gibbs' Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, exemplifying in Thomas
Authority wrote in 2006: A Markus's words, 'important metaphors for universal knowledge'
(Markus, 2004: 178). Thus in the circular library all knowledge
The library's real and symbolic value is still strong, even
if public debate has predicted that libraries will stagnate
and die, as dissemination of information becomes digital
and is taken over by other suppliers. The library's real and
symbolic value is seen both in relation to the still very high
circulation figures and the fact that new and spectacular
libraries are still being built allover the world - as well as in
the North.
(Thorhauge, 2006: 8)

It is true that there have been experiments in the UK with

re-branding libraries under a different name: Idea Stores in
the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, or Discovery Centres in
Hampshire. Both have been effective in attracting and retaining
new users, but once inside many people still refer to them as 'the
Figure 3.4 Imposing presence of The Picton Library, liverpool
library: There is no doubt the new Library of Birmingham will be
called precisely that, though it may look radically different from
the conventional building style we associate with libraries. When
I interviewed the principal librarian responsible for overseeing
the new development, he told me that 'We took the view early
on that what we were trying to do is to redefine the word and
concept of library, rather than declare it redundant and invent
another term which might turn out to be highly localised and
transient:

THE DOME OF KNOWLEDGE

A common plan for many of the larger municipal libraries centred

on a great circular reading room, clearly echoing the Reading Figure 3.5 Great Rotunda of Manchester Central library, designed by E.
Room at the British Library commissioned by Anthony Panizzi, Vincent Harris and opened In 1934
designed by Sydney Smirke, and opened in 1857. This has been
described as embodying 'universal knowledge held in a universal
space: The Great Hall in Manchester Central Library, designed
by E. Vincent Harris and opened in 1934 clearly does this, as
did The Picton Library in Liverpool already mentioned, though
Gunnar Asplund was the first to adapt and develop this idea in
the twentieth century with the Stockholm City Library opened in
1928. As Edwards has pointed out, citing A.Whittick, 'of the 600
new public libraries built in the UK between 1885 and 1920, the
main element was provided by a central, often circular, space'
(Edwards, 2009: 12). This was predominantly the central reading
room.

Yet even before Smirke's great reading room, the domed rotunda
was already established in a number of European aristocratic Figure 3.6 Imposing entrance of Stockholm library

44 45
 Contemporary Library Architecture

seemed to be visibly available in a single sweep of the eyes - Even Bolles-Wilson + Partner's mould-breaking design for the
though those with a more conspiratorial frame of mind might also MUnster City Library includes a perimeter wall at the edge of the
suggest that circularity provide the simplest form of surveillance site which 'appears as a slice of a larger drum that defines and
on the part of the library staff at their central desk. A post-war endorses the return of the books' (Sanin, 1994: 10). In the new
pioneer of circularity is Bourne Hall Library at Ewell in Surrey, library at Canada Water in London's former docklands, designed
detailed in one of the case studies, which gives the impression of by CZWG, the centre of the building is dominated by a large
a spaceship arrived on earth. circular staircase which rises within a dramatic, almost slightly-
larger-than human-scale, wooden-slatted drum.
Interestingly Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus of OMAj
REX sought to develop this principle in their design for Seattle Either the rising spiral staircase, or the internal rotunda - or
Public Library (opened 2004), with their 'Book Spiral', which a combination of both - remain an architectural reference for
presents all of the library's non-fiction in a continuous series of many library architects. Christophe Egret, architect and founding
Dewey-classified shelves which spiral upwards along an inclined partner of Studio Egret West, has written of the interior of his
corridor and can be perused by library users without using stairs practice's combined library and health centre in Clapham, south
or needing to go into another part of the building. Here we can London, which opened in 2012, that:
find echoes of Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral internal staircase at the
New York Guggenheim Museum. In the refurbishment of the main inspired by Erik Gunnar Asplund's Stockholm City Library, books
library at the London School of Economics by Foster + Partners, line the walls of a curved oval ramp, avoiding traditional rows
completed in 2001, the central atrium is dominated by a twin of shelves that chop up the space. Orientation is intuitive
lift-shaft surrounded by a spiral staircase linking five separate as soon as you join reception. The building can be read as a
floors. A similar configuration can be found at Sandton Library in simple spiral diagram - with neither floors nor corridors but a
Gauteng, South Africa, designed by GAPP Architects - and very continuous book-lined ramp. Quiet reading and computer rooms
striking it is too. sit like carved recesses behind the curved bookcases.
(Egret, 2011: 56)

Figure 3.7 Circular facade of Bourne Hall Library, Ewell, In Surrey, designed by A.G.Sheppard Fidler and Associates, opened In 1970

46 47
 What you see is what you get: key elements of library architecture

Figure 3.8 Circular stairwell at LSE library, London, designed by Foster + Partners

Figure 3.9 Circular stairwell at Canada Water Library, Southwark, London, designed by Piers Gough of CZWG

46 47
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Time and again we find references to - or adaptations of - the this semi-circular form, and that had interesting aspects in
top-lit dome and circular reading room. terms of context on the outside of the building, but had an
interesting aspect in terms of the inside of the building, in
Circularity in library design is similarly referenced in the design for that it had very much a central space which could allow a
the Norwich Millennium Library by Hopkins & Partners, which opened more noisy activity, and then you could filter through that
in 2001. When interviewed one of the project architects said that: space towards the outside of the building and go towards
quieter study areas. So there was a very clear idea on the
You can analyse our building and say quite simply we've got a plan how a circular arrangement might work architecturally.
semi-circular library that you could say is half a classical reading (Bryson et ai., 2003: 30)
room, literally chopped in half - around the outside of which
we've got a relatively traditional construction with relatively This is fascinating, suggesting as it does the judicious use of two
modest window-sized openings with bay windows, with study great Victorian spaces - the circular reading room and the railway
booths, we've then got a panopticon-type radial plan which station concourse. And it is true that the further the visitor
comes into a central space. And then the other half of that we've penetrates into the library the quieter it becomes. What this open
got, instead of having your complete circle of the library we've plan but sectionalised approach does is allow the library user to
got the equivalent of a Victorian railway station, really with a choose a particular spot where they feel most comfortable. Some
large open concourse with people milling through it. So in a people like to hide in libraries and cut themselves off from the
way the Victorians had the prototypes and we've merged various crowd; others like to sit where there are other people. With the
ideas that have been around ... The building makes an outside ubiquity of Wi-fi in libraries and the increasing use of laptops
space and then that connects through a big glass wall to an and digital notebooks, studying is now a moveable feast, and
inside space... so that it links directly into the streetscape... young people seem as relaxed reading a book and typing up their
notes in a cafe or on a chair located next to the fiction section,
We had a three-storey building and we had it at the back as their predecessors felt in the studious silence of the reference
of a hub of this U-shaped space. And we decided to have library and its ranked tables.

Figure 3.10 Public atrium of Norwich Forum leading to Norwich Central Library, designed by Michael Hopkins & Partners, and opened
In 2001

48 49
 What you see is what you get: key elements of library architecture

The larger the library the more dominant and architecturally

grand the main reading room had to appear - and these became
the most photographed images we have of the more historic
libraries. Row upon row of long tables with elegant table lamps
or ceiling lamps suspended above the desks give the effect of an
almost industrial scale of individual study, in a hushed and almost
forbidding atmosphere, as evoked by film-maker Alain Resnais.
The great reading room has more or less disappeared in most new
public libraries in Europe, though some of the larger American
libraries, particularly those constructed in a neo-classical,
monumental style, such as Chicago, Nashville, Phoenix and San
Francisco, have retained these monumental halls. In Europe the
trend has been to mix study space with browsing space, while
providing the now ubiquitous laptop with its own power supply
wherever there is a chair or table close to hand.

ONE WAVE AFTER ANOTHER

For the most part, however, the great wave of library-building

which occurred from the 1880s onwards was the work of local
architects, often influenced by some of the classic designs, as
well as some of the design requirements of those two great
philanthropic sponsors of libraries in the UK: Andrew Carnegie
and John Passmore Edwards. Between 1850 and 1939 over 1,000
library buildings were designed and constructed in the UK, making
this one of the most common building types of modern civic
Britain. (Black et ai., 2009: xv) However, as Shannon Mattern has
adroitly noted, when libraries were designed by local architects, Figure 3.11 Entrance and facade of Carnegie library, London Borough of
they employed a range of styles and local references. Once Enfield

Carnegie became involved, a process of standardisation ensued,

which began to determine the idea that a library had to look
exactly the same as other libraries (Mattern, 2007: 3).

Alistair Black and his colleagues note that:

The public library rarely attracted interest from the

heavyweights of the architectural world (Alfred Waterhouse
was an exception). On the contrary, public library design was
highly 'democratic' in that it was carried out by a myriad
of local architects and borough engineers and surveyors.
This dilution of design responsibility goes some of the way
to exploring the eclecticism (and historicism) of style that
characterised much of the period, even the inter-war years
when modernism began to make its mark.
(Black et ai., 2009: 345)

Having established a successful model for a public library service

as part of the infrastructure of an incipient democracy, there was Figure 3.12 Entrance and facade of Carnegie library, London Borough of
little else required other than to build more and more, where Enfield (detail)

48 49
 Contemporary Library Architecture

the only design variable tended to be size in relation to the by Alsop and Stormer in reality does this, embodying as it does
population catchment. It was in Scandinavia - where the move clear functional characteristics - the new generation of large
to the cities occurred later - that new architectural templates libraries developed after 2000, not only in the UK but across
for public libraries became more readily apparent and exciting. the world, have resisted the post-modern call for ornamental
In these countries design leap-frogged the Victorian prototype extravagance (let alone stylistic kitsch), opting instead for
and new public libraries became set-pieces or exemplars of architectural intelligence and public sobriety.
Scandinavian modernism, with its emphasis on transparency,
light, and democratic taste and civility. The reason why architecture is so important is that 'Members of
the public rarely recognise a distinction between physical libraries
In all, five distinct periods of library design have been identified and "the library service'" (MLA, 2010a). Behind the scenes there
in Britain since the inception of the public library movement. is a vital yet mostly invisible network of services provided by
They are: public libraries, including inter-library lending, negotiating rights,
electronic networking, professional training, negotiating with
• the 'Civic' Public Library: 1850-83 authors and publishers, commissioning re-prints, operating mobile
libraries, amongst others. Yet for most people the public library is
• the 'Endowed' Public Library: 1883-1919
a building, and a highly symbolic building at that. 'Architectural
• the 'National Network' Public Library: 1919-39 style; Alistair Black has written, 'represents an important part
of the meaning of the public library in our early twenty-first
• the 'Welfare State' Public Library: 1939-79
century digitally mediated world' (Black, 2011: 31). Perhaps more
• the 'Post-Modern' Public Library: after 1979 (Black et ai., than ever, the buildings have to do more work in explaining and
2009: 27). shaping the library ethos and service, in a world in which little
is taken for granted or accepted without demur. How various
The only one of these categories which might be challenged is architectural approaches to the contemporary public library chime
the last. While there are a few libraries which prioritise effect with public regard and expectation is the subject of the next
over civility - and not even the much reviewed Peckham Library chapter.

Figure 3.13 Interior of Uppsala Public Library

50 51
 What you see is what you get: key elements of library architecture

Figure 3.14 Striking design of the prow end of the modernist SWISS Cottage Library, designed by Basil Spence, opened In
1964

Figure 3.15 Southend on Sea Central Library opened In 1974

50 51
CHAPTER 4

A new wave of library

architecture
The new Libraries are no longer places of regulated patronage in formaLLy distinct
rooms, but are increasingly open-plan - places where independent users come
who 'want to solve their inteLLectual problems on their own: They may even
bring their own laptops, but want the space, the comfort and the associational
life offered by the company of feLLow citizens, to support them in their personal
endeavours. The modern Library is now much more than a book depository,
formerly accessed by a catalogue, but is a meeting place of books, media,
people and ideas (including talks, events, readings and children's activities). In
this new world the external appearance of the Library has a weakened symbolic
importance; it is now the open-plan interior with its circulation patterns
and dis-aggregated service points that embodies the symbolic value of the
contemporary Library ethos.

SPACES OF DEMOCRACY re-packaging, it has been not only the exterior representation
of the institution that has changed; this repackaging
Since the 1990s a number of city libraries have been built across has involved much more than fitting an old institution
the world whose design has consciously attempted to re-situate into a new box. With each new physical embodiment of
the public library at the centre of twenty-first century urban the institution, each new architectural expression, some
life and culture, with a strong orientation to the age of the functions and identities and values of the public library have
Internet and globalised access to information. Indeed the past metamorphised, too.
twenty years have been something of a golden age for library (Mattern, 2007: viii)
architecture: 'Not since the Carnegie era has there been so much
interest in library buildings' (Black et ai., 2009: 2). Moreover, One of the earliest and most radical of these new prototypes was
there has been in this period much more freedom to innovate that for the new MUnster City Library in Germany, designed by
in both programme and design, and this has led to greater Bolles-Wilson + Partner and opened in December 1993. The city
architectural flair and experimentalism (even if accompanied by authorities decided to commission a new library and museum in
occasional lapses into self-regard and public grandstanding). In the 1980s intended to mark the anniversary of MUnster's 1,200
North America, Shannon Mattern writes: years as a city. However there was insufficient space on the
chosen site to have both and it was decided to focus on creating
Over the past decade and a half, librarians, civic officials, a new library which, it was felt, would not only meet the needs
architects, and library users have made myriad architectural of the past and present, but of the future too. As Francisco Sanin
packages for their public libraries. But with each has written:

52 53
 A new wave of library architecture

The decision to go ahead with the library as the main Public libraries are unique cultural institutes in local
monument to the city's anniversary celebration is highly communities in that they are places that promote public
significant. Not only does it relate to the origins of MUnster discussions through a large range of media and a self-learning
as a seat of learning, but more than that, it also reflects a place for people who want to solve their intellectual problems
desire to engage the more dynamic and relevant aspects of on their own.
life in the city.
(Sanin, 1994: 8) It is in this area that we find a means of survival and the
significance of the existence of public libraries. It is hard to
This is almost certainly the narrative arc of the new library find places in local communities where people could meet
era: the growing wish to create a significant new civic building and freely discuss issues in a neutral setting, despite their
which not only functions as a library but also as an emblem of importance. The physical presence of libraries has increased
modern pluralist democracy, freedom of thought - as well as under this condition.
urban vitality. The Strategic Design Brief for the new Library of (Yoshida, 2009: 16; italics in original)
Birmingham states that: 'The City Council recognises the power
of cultural activities to change lives and increase prosperity. This notion of the library as a central meeting-place in the
The Library of Birmingham ... will enable the city to provide town or city - of people, of ideas, and of diverse cultures and
a stronger, more co-ordinated cultural offer and lead people affiliations - is today becoming as important as the historic
to new and richer cultural experiences: More than that, in ideal of the library as a collection of books for the purpose of
Birmingham it is central to the design brief that 'The roles of the individual study and private reflection. 'Now knowledge is virtually
library as a development agency and city meeting place will be everywhere; argues Brian Edwards:
foremost:
it has broken free of the constraint of buildings. Today, if
But there have been other drivers of change, initially less you were to destroy all the world's libraries, it is unlikely
alluring. In Tower Hamlets in the 1990s local politicians realised that more than 20 per cent of human knowledge would be
that that visitor numbers and book borrowings in the borough lost ... If a library is a repository of knowledge, this is now
were in freefall, and something had to be done to reverse a just one of its functions. The library's prime function is now
pattern of rapid decline. A policy paper written in 2000 noted making that knowledge available and encouraging exchange
that, 'A staggering 72 per cent of the population never used and reflection upon it.
the library services on offer and it was decided that a radically (Edwards, 2009: xi)
different approach to provision of library services in terms of
marketing and presentation was needed' (Bryson et ai., 2003: This implies big changes in the basic library plan and programme,
64). Hence not only a radical new building programme, but also particularly in the allocation of space. Here, again, Jens
a new branding concept of the library as an 'Idea Store' which, Thorhauge, Director-General of the Danish National Library
though not universally welcomed in the library world, has, Authority, wrote in 2006:
nevertheless, completely re-energised the service in the borough,
with four new libraries developed between 2003 and 2012, all The main challenge is to abandon the 'book depository hall'
recording high levels of public use and interest. In Glasgow, it as [the main] organisational principle for the physical library,
was the challenge to a dull library service represented by the and replace it with an interior design principle that allows
new glamorous book-selling chains such as Waterstone's which for the library being a multi-functional house with room
provided the necessary spur to action to upgrade the service for the classical free space for reading and working - while
and make it relevant to a new generation of consumer-savvy at the same time making room for many more scheduled
readers. activities than today - exhibitions, events, computer classes
and many other learning initiatives, and meetings. And
The Japanese library academic Yuko Yoshida visited Denmark in finally, [it is] a place that still signals that help is available
2006, 2008 and 2010 while researching the political and social to find the right information, and that produces a forceful
context of the library movement - with a view to providing cultural promotion both of the new books and of subjects of
lessons for Japan, where privatisation potentially threatens topical interest.
some of these historic values. His essay summarising this (Larsen, 2006: 10)
research highlights why new libraries in Europe continue to be
built in what the author terms 'the revival of the civic library In architectural terms libraries have moved from being buildings
movement': symbolising intellectual power and authority for a select few to

52 53
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 4.1 Idea Store reception desk, London Borough of Tower Hamlets

ones embodying ideals of accessible and democratic knowledge the new library there as 'not so much a stronghold but rather as a
and self-development for the many. In its proceedings from a threshold:
2010 conference in Barcelona on The Futures of the Public Library,
it was agreed that: 'The users are really the centre of the service. A municipal councillor in Newham described the purpose of the
It is necessary to think of the space for the users and not for newly designed library in Stratford thus:
the collection: the library is for people not for books' (Barcelona,
2010). I suppose one of the things that we've tried to do in
Newham is to breathe some life back into libraries and make
This is a radically new conception indeed. Yet it contains an them be an important meeting place where people would
important truth for the twenty-first century, which is that the exchange information as well as just traditionally take out
modern library now prioritises human self-development and social books. I think we wanted them to be a place of cultural life
community as much as it conserves the traditional sanctity of so they wouldn't be just a place where you went and got a
the book collection. Indeed the Barcelona accord goes on to book or went and accessed the IT ... but they would also
assert that, 'The library is a public space that acts as an agora celebrate what it was that our people were bringing, what
and helps to construct the community' (Barcelona, 2010). In this Newham people were contributing ...
regard it has exchanged one ancient ideal for another. It is worth (Bryson et aI., 2003: 85)
noting that in 2010 the MLA published a policy paper - with a
small funding programme attached - called Opening Up Spaces In this, libraries are anticipating much wider changes in the
(2010a), encouraging libraries, in particular, to create spaces townscape arising from more consumer lifestyles, as traditional
where adults could organise their own learning. They gave the retailing disappears from the high street or main street (either
example of the wholly self-organised 'University of the Third Age' to out-of-town retail parks or to home delivery for goods ordered
as a classic example of this new direction in informal education. online), and personal services take over many central urban areas.
More and more, as we shall discover in the case studies, the When asked what the British high street would look like in 2030,
spaces of the library are becoming more flexible, offering not leading data and retail analyst Matthew Hopkinson suggested that:
only individual carrels or desk spaces for study, but also places
for seminars, training classes, performances, exhibitions, lectures It's going to be full of services, and social aspects. It'll be
and other events. At Aberdeen University, they have designated full of hairdressers, tanning salons, cafes and restaurants.

54 55
 A new wave of library architecture

There might be doctors and dentists there. And it will Black. These came from the MOA's long-standing sample of public
become very leisure-focused. If there's an area where people volunteers, spread out across Britain, and were solicited by letter
like the architecture, and they can socialise, and not just and open-ended in response - and therefore highly subjective.
shop, that's what will happen. You'll get a place where But they certainly catch a flavour of differing attitudes towards
people will go for a community. the old and the new:
(Hopkinson, 2011)
A library needs to be, and look, accessible to attract people.
This multiplicity of functions, and social effects, is not new. Older buildings tend to be more off-putting and formal in
Writing about Alvar Aalto's seminal library at Viipuri, constructed nature.
in 1935 and still functioning, Michael Spens noted that,
(Older buildings are) far more impressive and have an
Libraries remain places where individuals first assess their atmosphere of knowledge and learning.
independent opportunities for growth and career progress.
They also function as contemplative places, in the way I have found old libraries rather intimidating in the past,
churches have done; and for those whose life is mostly used with a rather musty smell. At our (modern) library I feel at
up, they become places for calm re-assessment and leisurely home.
study. Increasingly they can become centres of value to the
whole family: single people can also find intellectual security The modern library has robbed a section of society of a
and even group therapy through participation on a regular place to hide, to be warm and to nurse their delusions in
basis. The Library has become the repository for social comfort and to be in company yet alone. Modern libraries
values. have nowhere you can hide and disappear into a book and
(Spens, 1994: 91) newspapers; few fuggy little corners. Accessibility and
friendliness are wonderful but the magic has gone and the
It is said that Aalto's library at Viipuri was a momentous mystery.
architectural breakthrough, in that it de-centralised and
de-sacralised traditional library design, with its new emphasis As Black (2011a) suggests, however tentatively, older
on distinct compartments, wings, sunken floors and galleries correspondents tended to remember the libraries of their
(Edwards, 2009: 12). childhood with warmth and affection - and perhaps a large
degree of nostalgia. In my own discussions with library staff,
In the course of an interview with John Harrington, Head of there is no doubt that young people are much more attracted
Information Services at Cranfield University - who himself had to the new, the colourful and the bold. These are, to a degree,
been involved in the development of the new campus library generational issues around expectations, though the increased
designed by Sir Norman Foster + Partners - he was clear that visitor figures to some of the most modern libraries suggests that
one of the main purposes in commissioning a distinctive library all age groups can be won over if it looks good, and works well.
building was to provide a high-status meeting place in an
otherwise random collection of buildings and residential blocks.
Otherwise, he worried, many students would stay in their study-
bedrooms and attend lectures, without ever feeling that they LOOKING GOOD, INSIDE AND OUT
belonged. For Dutch architect Wiel Arets, the Utrecht University
Library he had designed 'is emphatically intended as a meeting It is such thinking that prompted the Dutch architect J.M.
place for the whole university' (Arets, 2005: 136). Coenen - who has specialised in designing libraries, including the
new central library in Amsterdam - to write of this new emphasis
on the social nature of the new library space:

THE 0 D AND THE NEW Public spaces have become interiors. And this applies equally
to public buildings. Today it is the interior which shapes our
But how do library users regard these new architectural lives, and indeed it is this interior which links the inside
interpretations of the twenty-first century public library building? with the outside. The skin of a building is no longer falsified
What evidence we have comes courtesy of the Mass Observation with deceptive, symbolic ornamentation as it was in the
Archive (MOA) which, in 2005, was commissioned to seek a range nineteenth century. We no longer have any simple symbolism
of views on 'Public Library Buildings' by library academic Alistair that we could openly display to the outside world. Indeed,

54 55
 Contemporary Library Architecture

people have become ashamed of such symbolism. Awakening mere issue of ownership or formal role or function. As Maarten
negative associations, it has become superfluous. Kloos and colleagues demonstrated so vividly in their study of
(Coenen, 2002: 5) Amsterdam architecture and public life, Public Interiors (1993),
for many Amsterdam citizens and visitors, there are a wide range
Many would not go so far as to entirely reject the important of places, including certain bars, department store restaurants,
symbolic aspects of the public exteriors of buildings such as museums, libraries, arcades, churches, hotel lobbies, theatre
libraries - or for that matter, schools, police stations, railway and concert hall foyers and even supermarkets, where people
stations, or other public buildings which need to announce their arrange to meet, and maybe have a coffee or sit down to talk,
presence and functions without an over-reliance on previous often oblivious of the formal purpose or commercial nature of the
acquaintance or pre-existing information. Bas Savenije, one of setting. Similar arguments have been advanced by Ray Oldenburg
the client body which commissioned Dutch architect Wiel Arets in America. Yet these uses are as valid in respect of the vitality of
to design the Utrecht University Library, remains convinced that the town or city as the more deliberated functions of shopping,
external appearance has to suggest something of the inner world theatre-going, book-borrowing or catching a train.
it represents: 'The building as it is now has something almost
"sacred" about it. That's a better word for it than "classical". But Furthermore, a new public library can add status, a sense of
it's the same idea: you can tell by looking at the building that it keeping up with the times, and even a 'wow' factor to a town or
contains material of great value' (Arets, 2005: 134). city centre. This has certainly been the case according to one
business leader in Norwich interviewed about the effect of the
It may suit corporate business to rely on a modest brass Millennium Library:
name-plate on a high-rise office block to identify a company
identity, but architectural style in referencing historical templates I think having a flagship library that looks good and has
and associations can playa positive role in creating meaning all the facilities that everyone's talked about, slap-bang in
and attachment in the townscape. 'Does it look like a library?' the city centre only helps to create, reinforce the fact that
is a question still asked by both politicians and public. This is Norwich, despite the fact, is a medieval city, isn't lost in
especially true when it comes to commissioning a new building, medieval times - it is still a vibrant centre. So in a way I
and people are first confronted with the initial design ideas or think it benefits my business, as perceptual for the whole
architectural sketches. area, as in the nitty-gritty of what it's actually supplying.
The other side of that is that it's actually a cracking good
Yet in several recent libraries in the USA - in Chicago (designed library.
by Hammond, Beeby and Babka, opened 1991) and Nashville (Bryson et ai., 2003: 60)
(designed by Robert A.M. Stern, opened 2001) for example - one
could argue that designers have gone too far, whether in the Looking good is not just an aesthetic issue. As the Audit
spirit of postmodernism or old-fashioned revivalism, in retaining Commission noted in 2002, appearance was a significant factor
the classical tradition of public library architecture, producing in library use. Young people in particular were, and are, reluctant
highly symmetrical monoliths, with porticoes, pediments, and to use a building that looks as though it belongs to a past age
monumental granite or marble facades, which may do the library and culture, especially when almost everything else in the High
cause very little good in the long term. This argument has been Street or town centre is constantly updating itself and appears
made by the Benton Foundation in America which has reported to be directly linked into a more globalised world of information,
that 'this traditional view of libraries makes it difficult politically entertainment and life-chances. This is why such striking new
for libraries to remake their image and surge forward in a digital buildings in urban districts exhibiting higher than average levels
age' (Mattern, 2007: 57). of social deprivation, such as the libraries in Canada Water,
Shepherd's Bush, and even in the northern part of Barcelona close
It has been one of the main attractions of Dutch urban to Pla~a de Lessops, quickly become adopted and heavily used by
understanding that what is public space is larger than the local people, as symbols of status and public esteem.

56 57
This page intentionally left blank
PART 3

Planning and d
processes

Passe rs-by Stop

Passers-by stop to look at site hoa rd lrlgs
mgs W Iith
h p lans fo r new Library
LIbrary of Birming ha m, d isplayed
Isplayed by Mecanoo architect, Francin e Ho uben
design
CHAPTER 5

Developing the brief and

establishing a project
management team
When planning a new Library or the major refurbishment of an existing Library,
developing a comprehensive brief is vital. This process should include aLL the
key Library stake-holders, including budget-holders, Librarians, Library users,
architects and designers, as weLL as representatives of appropriate civic bodies.
A precautionary List of The Seven Deadly Sins of Library Architecture' is presented
based on past experience on what can go wrong. The project itself needs a
steering group which has sufficient time and resources to think through aLL the
possibilities and potential problems weLL ahead of signing contracts and starting
work. Members of such a steering group would certainly benefit by travelling to
see a range of new Libraries both in their own country and elsewhere. A schema
is suggested which Links four key issues which are inter-connected in developing
the brief: people, places, partners and programmes. In a mixed economy, based
increasingly on a variety of public-private partnerships, and with many towns
and cities experiencing rapid social, cultural and demographic change, planning
for flexibility is vital.

ESTABLISHING THE GROUND RULES were now playing as civic meeting places (Khan, 2009: 122). For
colleges and universities, space is calculated per student and
As with all public buildings designed to serve complex needs in work-space. Thus the 1993 Follett Report recommended one study
a changing society, the library buildings of tomorrow need even space for six full-time equivalent university students, with 4
greater foresight in preparing the brief than has been previously square metres study space per reader. All these figures are broadly
required. There are of course some basic requirements, notably indicative, though each library, whether public or academic,
providing the right amount of space for the population to be will need to assess the nature of their own needs based on the
served. In 2001 the DCMS supported the figure of 23 square specifics of the situation and the wider purposes of the library
metres per 1,000 population for public libraries, though in 2007 to be constructed. This is the argument of IFLA: 'The amount of
professional opinion suggested this might need to rise to 30 floor-space required by a public library depends on the unique
square metres per 1,000 (in the USA and Canada this may be up needs of the individual community as determined through a
to 56 square metres for joint-use libraries), and 5 reader spaces community needs assessment and the level of resources available'
per 1,000 population, given the role that the 'new libraries' (McNicol, 2008: 53).

60 61
 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

They need to be 'future-proofed' against a rapidly changing Compare the list of deadly sins above, with the following factors
economic and cultural future. Yet even before starting, there is highlighted by Christine Fyfe, University Librarian at Leicester
the advantage of past experience and hindsight, and a list of University, when accounting for the successful refurbishment
dangers to avoid based on hard-earned wisdom. of the David Wilson Library there, undertaken by Associated
Architects. They represent a natural counterpoint. The key
For the American library specialists Fed Schlipf and John elements of success as far as library staff and users were
Moorman, writing in the 1990s, the 'Seven Deadly Sins' of modern concerned were in:
public library architecture were:
• Maximising natural light
• Bad lighting
• Providing a welcoming and warm ambience with the gravitas
• Inflexibility
of the library
• Bad location
• Creating vistas and visual interest - and intimacy (with
• Complex maintenance nooks and crannies)

• Insufficient work and storage space • Replicating the aesthetics and proportions of the existing
building to create a seamless space
• Bad security
• Designing a place that is a pleasure to be in for long periods
• Signature architecture (Bryson et ai., 2003: 32).
of time
These are mainly functional, nuts and bolts problems relating • Providing clarity and coherence of layout leading to ease of use
to the building plan and structure itself, though they obviously
• Delivering the most sustainable building possible within the
relate directly to the changing and varied services which modern
budget
libraries provide. However if these basics are ignored, problems
are inevitably stored up for the future. Since then American • Using zoning to accommodate a range of behaviours - from
library consultant Fred Schlipf has written an acerbic tour silent to socia l spaces
d'horizon on the dysfunctional design of so many library buildings,
• Designing settings which encouraged positive behaviour
as well as the propensity of commissioning bodies and architects
(Rossiter, 2011).
to carryon repeating the same mistakes. This is contained in
his required essay on 'the dark side of library architecture: the
In 1996 the library organisation SCONUL published a collection of
persistence of dysfunctional designs' which should be read by
fourteen separate architects' briefs for higher education libraries
anyone working in the field (Schlipf, 2011: 227). Not everything
subsequently designed and built, which, though somewhat
that Schlipf finds unacceptable is necessarily bad - if it were
dated, is still of great interest (Revill, 1996). In most it is
none of the libraries discussed in this book would see the light
the 'vision' or set of final outcomes desired from the creation
of day. For there is little that Sch lipf can find to say positively
of a new library - usually prefacing the brief - which is most
about rooflights, atria, balconies, non-standard light fittings,
telling (and occasionally inspiring) rather than the spatial,
non-standard staircases, courtyards and non-rectangularity. But
structural and technical specifications. What, ultimately, is the
he provides a salutary lesson in counting the trade-off costs of
educational benefit of the new building on its users and staff,
going architecturally off-piste.
and how does it galvanise the whole campus in its role as a
centre of life and learning? The brief for a proposed new library
Matters such as the socio-economic and age characteristics of
at the University of Abertay Dundee, was mature enough to
the population to be served are equally important. It is thus
recognise that even visionary statements require trade-offs and
a combination of hard and soft factors which matter, not just
compromises. For, as it observed, the wish to create a building
of form and function but of adaptability and a people-based
which was 'Welcoming', 'Warm', 'Diverse', 'Cultured & Dignified',
approach to the design and provision of services. In current
had also to fulfil obligations for security - to users, staff and
library jargon this means being first and foremost 'customer-
stock - as well as designating clear boundaries between quiet
focused', or, more simply, designing for effective use. If the
and active spaces. Furthermore, it had to be exciting to be in,
building and its location themselves present obstacles to access
as well as architecturally profound. 'Externally striking' with a
then trouble is sure to follow.
'non-inhibiting interior': how easy is that?

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT 1995 • Robustness and stability of furniture (including different
sizes)
It is a legal obligation to take into account the Disability
• Desks and study spaces suitable for wheelchair users
Discrimination Act when drawing up the building brief, especially
so given the very public nature of the building. There are also • Furniture and equipment height
many kinds of new enabling technologies, for example Braille
• Accessible meeting rooms (Khan, 2009: 129-130).
and Kurzweil machines, along with software for the visually
impaired, and expert advice should be sought on the best way of
incorporating these facilities into the mainstream of the building,
along with the requirements necessary for physical access to all
INCLUSION BY DESIGN
parts for those in wheelchairs.
Along with the above technical issues to be resolved in the
Ayub Khan provides a comprehensive list of considerations to be
interests of access for everybody, inclusive design is also about
taken into account when designing for good access, circulation
ambience and ethos. In CABE's short document on inclusive
and support amenities for those with disabilities, including:
design libraries and centres for learning are highlighted as being

•
places where, ideally, inclusion means:
Access

• Parking • A building to be proud of

• Building approaches - curbs & signage • A library where you can't hear a pin drop

• Entrances - ramps, steps and handrails • A library where you can linger and be warm

• Doors - ease of opening • A library where people far from home can connect up to their

•
families
Lifts and stair lifts

•
• A library where students are welcome - even on a Sunday
Wide aisles and clear sight-lines
morning when many need to study

• Good emergency exits

• Affordable facilities
• Alarms system for alerting deaf people
• Accessible shelves

• Decor and materials

• A diverse staff team that reflects the make-up of the

• Floor surfaces which aid navigation community (CABE: 2008a).

• Floor surfaces which are slip-resistant

• Windows - low enough for wheelchair users to see

through SUSTAINABILITY

• Good task lighting

Given that public libraries are exemplars of the open society,

• Switches and controls that are easy to find and easy to

use
along with the latest thinking about people and place, it follows
that they ought also be models of best practice in adhering to

•
the principles of environmental sustainability too. The Strategic
Signage & notices - clear, bold lettering, use of
Design Brief for the new Birmingham Central Library clearly states
non-linguistic symbols and Braille
that:

• Aural messages in lifts and emergency procedures

•
The new facility must be designed and built in accordance
Facilities
with sustainability best practice and in particular must

• Toilets - including wheelchair accessible comply with the city Council's Sustainability Strategy. It must

•
achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental
Loop systems at counters
Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of 'excellent: It should

• Textphone facilities be highly energy efficient, carbon neutral and have a lower
than average environmental impact throughout its lifecycle.

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 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

In many of the case-studies detailed in this book, BREEAM with a realistic estimate of how long the building is expected to
compliance to a high rating has been a central requirement of last, thus amortising these costs. These can still vary widely. The
the design brief, and, rather than this inhibiting creativity on the 'pop-up' library in Seven Kings, London was a cheap but effective
part of the architect, has in many cases - as with the Brighton fit-out of an existing shop, only designed to operate for up to five
Jubilee Library - been a key driver for better design (and a useful years, before re-considering what might be needed next. Similarly,
weapon against late-stage cost-cutting.) This is a good example the Willesden Green Library Lab is another 'pop-up' project, a
of what Brian Edwards notes as 'the increasing impact that 6 month programme in 2012 taking advantage of an empty
environmental accreditation is having upon design: Where once shop to provide IT training, workshops and lectures, based on a
upon a time design was linked to the social idealism of the library collaboration between Brent Council and Architecture 00:/ with the
ideal, today it is more likely to be linked to ecological design, support of the London Mayor's Outer London Fund. At the other
with the library building itself a message-carrier of sustainability extreme, the life expectancy of the new British Library is estimated
(Edwards, 2011: 213). as 250 years (Architectural Review, 1998: 50).

In a detailed essay on 'Sustainability as a driving force in It is easy to build cheaply, and then find endless expense involved
contemporary library design', Edwards delineates the many in maintenance, or frequent refurbishments needed to keep up with
ways in which environmental requirements and opportunities changing environmental requirements. Better by far to build into
are re-configuring library design in radical ways. Paradoxically the initial capital outlay the costs for high quality, environmentally
nowhere is this more true than in the rather old-fashioned friendly materials and flexible design, which may produce a more
'expectation that daylight, controlled sunlight, and fresh air efficient and lower-costing maintenance regime in the long term.
should be provided in all or most parts of the library' (Edwards, As the 2003 CABE report on Creating Excellent Buildings noted:
2011: 193). The days of the standardised deep-plan, artificially
lit, air-conditioned 'universal space' are gone. New buildings are The costs of running and managing buildings over their
no longer study or book collection factories but civic meeting whole life is proportionately much higher than the initial
places, designed to provide a sense of uplift and personal capital cost. Extra resources spent on design or construction
well-being. As such, environmental factors - light, air, colour, to achieve high quality can pay for themselves many times
furnishings, physical comfort, acoustics, sight-lines and visual over during the life of the building.
interest - become even more important, privileging interior
design as much as architectural structure. When Andrew Carnegie provided funding for the many libraries
built in his name, he only provided the capital costs, and
At Mecanoo's university library in Delft, the glazed facades along subsequently some municipalities found themselves with buildings
with the turf-clad roof playa significant part in the building's they could at times barely afford to staff, stock, heat or light.
environmental control strategy. The former provides both thermal Even today, having spent over $165 million on its new library
and acoustic insulation as well absorbing rainwater which later in Seattle, the city authorities there have already had to impose
evaporates or is dispersed more naturally, and in winter warm revenue cuts which mean that the new library will be open fewer
ground water is channelled through a heat exchanger to raise the hours than the one it replaced.
building's temperature while in the summer the opposite process
occurs. The double-glazed facade contains a 140mm ventilated air This has clearly been one of the major attractions of PFI (Private
cavity into which air is pumped and released on each floor. Finance Initiative) schemes, in that repair and maintenance costs
are built into the outlay equation for a defined period - usually
thirty years - leaving the client with no doubt at all as to what
they need to be paying in the foreseeable future to keep the
LIFE-CYCLE COSTINGS building properly maintained. However, a UK Parliamentary Public
Accounts Committee published a highly critical review of PFI
This matter of lifecycle economies and environmental impacts is schemes in September 2011, noting amongst other things that
crucial - or as Ayub Khan has aptly put it, balancing 'cost, quality lost tax revenues due to off-shore arrangements by PFI investors
and time' (Khan, 2009: 32). Public and commercial buildings are had not been factored into the cost-benefit analysis of such
today rarely designed for posterity. In earlier times the major schemes, that public sector partners had insufficient information
economic factor was the size of the capital outlay - worries about about the returns made by PFI investors, nor any share in gains
maintenance and running costs were left for future generations. made if shares were sold at a later date, and that the full costs
Today, however, any new building budget is increasingly required to and benefits of PFI schemes were obscured to public view by
factor in subsequent operating costs and maintenance - together claims of commercial confidentiality. While the schemes certainly

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

delivered effective long-term maintenance, they often proved it offers to meet its designated programme most efficiently and
more expensive than other kinds of financing in the long term. effectively) .

This process is iterative and reflexive, and is thus best

represented as a continuous circle which can be represented
PLACES, PARTNERS, PEOPLE AND PROGRAMMES schematically as shown in Figure 5.1.

In the following schema these more complex externalities are In the next two chapters it is proposed to follow the order of
assembled under four headings: Places, Partners, People and places, partners, people and programmes - given the nature of
Programmes. This model was originally developed by a Steering Group most development briefs. In reality the design brief can begin to
involving CABE, RIBA and the MLA to which I acted as adviser. be developed at any point in this circle. For example, the 'pop-up'
library at Seven Kings in London came into being as a result of
The virtuous library circle successful campaigning by community groups for a library in
their neighbourhood to replace one which had closed more than
In developing the brief for a new library building, or even a a decade previously. Once the decision was made to create a new
refurbishment, then it is crucial to find the right equilibrium library - however temporary in this case - the use of a redundant
between four inter-connected factors: the people for whom shop premises in a busy shopping street was in reality the
the library service is intended (along with the staff providing only option. All design considerations flowed from that specific
the service), the programme of services, events and activities decision. Similarly it was clear from the start that the target
required to fulfil that obligation, the partners with whom the audience for this library would be families with young children,
library authority might wish to undertake a joint development or as the local authority and community groups had made increasing
venture, and the place of the library itself (along with the spaces educational resources for young children a priority in the area.

PLACES
(Includes a consideration of:)

Is it a town centre location?

A civic landmark?

Is it a neighbourhood facility?

PARTNERS A safe and secure sanctuary in PEOPLE

(Includes a consideration of:) the city? (Includes a consideration of:)

Section 106 planning gain The 'living room in the city'? Socio-demographic profile of
catchment area
Major retailer wishing to share Imbued with lifelong learning
premises ethos? Profile of existing users

Local education services Profile of new target users

Youth service/other budget PROGRAMMES Weighting given to children's

holders (Includes a consideration of:) services

Museums and art galleries Core library stock-holding Skills of the library staff

Local radio station ITC services and training Administration & management
of premises
Tourist information providers Public information services

Basic literacy and numeracy

provision

Children's events & activities

Writers' groups/cultural events? +-

E-government facilities

Figure 5.1 People, programmes, partners and places: the Virtuous CIrcle (CABE & RIBA, 2004)

64 65
 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

Seven Kings Library - the pop-up library

The concept of the 'pop-up' building emerged in the wake of demand for one in the area following local campaigning. The
high street retail closures in the recession of 2008.
2008. Empty Seven Kings library cost just £150,000 for the refurbishment
shops were let on peppercorn rents to local individuals, and fit-out of a single shop interior, on the basis of a five-year
voluntary groups and small businesses as galleries, charity life expectancy.
expectancy. The whole shopfront is fully glazed to give the
stores, cafes and open-access workshops. This was considered public an instant view of what's on offer inside. Apart from
much preferable than leaving them empty and boarded up. the wall shelving, all the other bookshelves are on wheeled
trolleys which
which can be moved to provide space for meetings
In Seven Kings, London, a former discount store was of readers, local writers, and others. There are four computer
re-opened as a community library - a pop-up library if you terminals. The stock selection is focused on child and family
will - by the London Borough of Redbridge in 2010. There interests, and the library proved an instant success, with more
had not been a library in the district for many years after a than 200 visits a day.
spate of library closures in the 1990s, yet there was growing

Figure 5.2 Pop-

Pop-up
up libra
library
li brary
ry Seve
Sevenn Kings Library, London Boroug
Boroughh of Figure 5.3 Inte
Interror
nor of
0 Seven Kings library, London Boro
Borough
ug h of
0 Re
Redb
dbrrdge,
rr dge,
Redbb ndg
Red rrdg e, corwe rte
rtedd from a vacant
va cant discount store conve rted
rt ed from a vacant d iscount store

Thus some opportunities to create new libraries, or refurbish - either selected by competition or chosen from an agreed list of
existing libraries, come from planning or development approved architects drawn up by the local authority - and library
opportunities, often retail-led, while others are responses to professionals or library users have had little or no further say. Alas
local demand, or the need to replace a building that is no longer this still happens, for I was told in one recent building project that
suitable for what is required. Where you step into the cycle of once the contract had been awarded no librarian was allowed to
developing the brief doesn't matter, as long as you follow through visit the site until the job was complete - upon which they found a
the four key elements: places, partners, people and programmes. whole series of elementary mistakes which could have been rectified
or avoided had library staff been consulted throughout. At another
new library in another town, I was told by the manager that, 'We
didn't have any say in the architecture of the building, nor were we
PROJECT STEERING GROUP asked anything about the interior design:

Once the decision is made to create a new library, or major Such a project steering group ought ideally to be assembled by
refurbishment, it is crucial to establish a project steering group to the main client - usually the local authority - together with
draw up the overall design brief. Too often in the past this task key library staff, representatives of local community interests
has been simply handed over to an architectural practice to fulfil in the neighbourhood in which the new library is to be located,

64 65
 Contemporary Library Architecture

architectural consultants, people with business planning library 'must combine stunning visual impact with broad appeal,
experience, and building management experience. Other members functional excellence and efficiencY:
of the steering group should be up to date with the latest
legislation regarding disability access and a degree of expertise in When refurbishing the David Wilson Library at Leicester
the principles of 'sustainable design: University, the following factors were given high priority in
developing the brief:
Though fewer and fewer local authorities have their own
architects' departments today, the most successful projects seem • Architects shadowing library staff to develop an
to emanate from towns and cities where there is an established understanding of how the building functioned
and forward-looking regeneration or development team. In
• Allowing proper time to develop the brief
Newcastle upon Tyne a consultant was engaged to help the
development team articulate a vision for the new PFI library, both • Giving the management of acoustics significant priority
as a new 'brand' but also to develop a new ethos for the building
• Use of raised flooring with services running underneath
and the services it was intended to provide. Head librarian,
Tony Durcan, later wrote that, 'He helped us articulate what was • A retail-style 'street' running through the centre of the building
needed. Communicating our vision for the library was crucial to
• Consistent flooring used throughout to ensure visual coherence
helping the design team create a building of this quality. Working
closely together we were specific about what we needed, then the • Bespoke furniture to ensure design coherence and best use
designers came back with practical and often beautiful ways to of space
achieve it: The team also had assistance with writing briefs from
• Looking at life-cycle costs rather than solely capital outlay
CABE, working towards the rubric of 'a building that will delight
(Rossiter, 2011).
and inspire: The new library at Clapham One in south London
grew out of a 'fantastic brief put together by Lambeth Council's
regeneration department, according to architect Christophe Egret.

WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS

When Cranfield College received the funding for a new library, a
Library Building Committee was established, consisting of library,
How do people know what they want until they have seen it? And
academic and estates staff. This
then, what if it looks wonderful but doesn't work? As Stewart
Brand has famously written: 'All buildings are predictions. All
met once a month to monitor the progress of the project.
predictions are wrong' (Brand, 1997: 178). A new public building
In addition to this, the project team, together with three or
is always something of a political risk, and a showcase building
four representatives of the client, would also formally review
most certain ly a hostage to fortune. The temptation to stick to
progress on a monthly basis. A member of our estates staff
the tried and true - even if the library programme everywhere
attended project cost control meetings and there were many
is in a state of constant change and development - is usually
ad hoc meetings between library staff and the architects.
countered by an understandable wish to create a building that
Considerable and continuing emphasis was placed on the
draws gasps of admiration, and even becomes a landmark or
need to keep within budget. Many of the early designs were
flagship for the town or city.
well over budget, but interestingly, as we got the designs
back within budget, we frequently achieved a better solution
In talking to senior library staff in UK towns and cities where new
- elegance through economy.
libraries have been commissioned over the past decade, it is clear
(Blagden, 1994: 20)
that there is no single formula for finding the right architect or
- a quite separate matter - developing the best design. Certainly
In Birmingham consultants were engaged to draw up a 'Strategic
some degree of competition is essential to the process, in order
Design Brief, a preliminary exercise in setting the fundamental
to avoid charges of favouritism, corruption, or insider dealing,
aspirations for what a new library might achieve, and it was this
and in Finland, for example, architectural competitions have
that competing architectural practices were invited to discuss
played a part in all of the major projects there since the Second
with the client before moving on to more detailed design stages.
World War (Mehtonen, 2011: 168). In North America, Shannon
This strategic document set the tone of what followed with
Mattern claims that 'Nearly every major urban public library
its opening statement that, 'Our mission, simply stated, is to
design project from 1991 to date has made use of an architectural
deliver the best public library in the world: Furthermore, the new
competition to select its design team' (Mattern, 2007: 9). She

66 67
 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

then goes on to adumbrate not only some of the drawbacks of building worth a city's investment' (Mattern, 2007: 14). Her firm
this process but also, even worse, the failures of some of the declined to participate in the Denver competition, and Cesar Pelli
buildings developed through this 'winner takes all' approach. and Associates later withdrew, claiming 'the process was moving
too fast for careful consideration of the complexity of the project:
What is wrong with competitions? Competitions requiring concept
drawings and designs can easily pre-empt the role of the client Different funding arrangements can circumvent the competition
(and especially library staff and users) in having any real say in process, sometimes to good effect. This happened at Canada
the basic programme of the building. They also tend to favour Water in London's docklands, where the commissioning client was
dramatic exteriors and bold contours, rather than workable a private company, British Land, not subject to European rules for
interiors with a large degree of flexibility. Indeed some of the choosing architects. They chose CZWG, with whom they enjoyed
most famous architects or architectural practices working in an established relationship, even though the practice had not
America still feel obliged to impose their signature style on a designed a library before, which would have ruled them out of the
building, irrespective of local context and local need: competition following other criteria. The result was a stunning
success. Local authorities may choose to go with a 'design-and-
Because the same architects and firms - Safdie, Cesar Pelli, build' process, in which the designer and construction company
Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer, and Michael Graves, for example - are part of the same team. This has the advantage of cutting
appear repeatedly on libraries' short lists, the similarities costs and being more reliable in terms of ironing out design
between their proposals for diverse cities becomes obvious. As problems ahead of construction. It can, however, lead to blander
a consequence, it becomes clear that the designs they present buildings, as well as buildings in which the architect loses all
to the client as inherently contextual, and the design elements independence, being part of the contractor team rather than
rationalized by references to site and local character, are really being on the client's side.
just revisited signature elements that lend themselves to
customized justifications in different contexts. The selection process also depends upon who is paying ultimately,
(Mattern, 2007: 58) and therefore who the 'client' or end-user actually is. In the
UK, whether in PFI schemes or in Section 106 planning gain
On the other hand, as Mattern points out, an equal number of highly agreements, the financial package often involves a commercial
regarded North American architectural practices have refused to developer or private finance company, already in a close working
enter such competitions, on the grounds that they regard the design relationship with a design team or master-planning team, in
brief as quintessentially a collaborative, iterative, reflexive process. which the new library is just one element of a larger scheme,
Some practices - often the same ones - also point out that the fees such as in Brighton and Huntingdon. In such cases the architect
available for entering the competition by no means cover the cost or design team is already in place, and the project then becomes
of serious contextual development and thinking, and once again one of ensuring that the design adheres as much as possible
favour the architectural practice or design team which goes for visual to a brief developed by the local authority on the basis of its
excitement over functionality - let alone long-term sustainability. specific vision and needs. For it is usually the local authority
Even worse, low development fees can too easily result in established - although in the case of the Bournemouth library a special
architectural practices presenting a template made for an earlier trust was established to manage the library scheme - which will
project - but now dusted off, re-badged and presented as new. subsequently own, lease, or in other ways manage the building
over a specified time, during which it has to work effectively as
The more complex the building, the less likely is competition a public building that staff and users enjoy, and which fulfils all
to produce the most satisfactory end result. When Denver's the needs of a modern library, not just as a visual grace-note to a
mayor announced a competition to build a new library at the larger scheme.
beginning of the 1990s, the Denver chapter of the American
Institute of Architects opposed the competition, arguing that the In the worst case scenarios - and this has most certainly
'highly complex nature of the building would require significant happened in the USA according to Mattern, and to my own
client input into the decision process' (Mattern, 2007:13). The knowledge in the UK too - library professionals have been
eminent architect Denise Scott Brown also wrote at the time completely overlooked in developing the design or working with
to express her disapproval of this and other competitions with the architect. Politicians and/or urban development professionals
regard to major public projects: 'Our own experience in over or private sector developers, have done deals with architects
thirty competitions has taught us that they are not a vehicle for over the heads of their own library staff and library public,
handling the sensitive programming and urbanistic issues that either because they wanted to commission a 'star' architect for
require testing, development and fine tuning in order to provide a status reasons, or because they simply deferred to professional

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

design expertise irrespective of local knowledge and experience. • Personalities - who will actually be doing the job as opposed
'These kinds of details were not shared with us; a librarian said, to the presentation?
when asked about problems in the newly opened Denver Library
• Client empathy - could they be sympathetic and constructive
(Mattern, 2007: 20). During visits to two new UK libraries built
to work with?
in the past five years, as mentioned earlier, it was clearly evident
that library staff had not been consulted at all upon the design.
Each company on the shortlist was asked to nominate three of
In both cases there were substantial - and now permanent -
their buildings which could be visited, and many were. At the
problems of poor adjacencies, access and visibility, along with
end of the process Sir Norman Foster + Partners were chosen,
the use of inappropriate materials, which might have been easily
by widespread agreement, largely because of the quality of their
resolved if library professionals had been invited to discuss briefs
buildings, and the effectiveness of their presentation.
and plans.
In the case of the Utrecht University Library, there was a
Such problems are avoidable, though they often stem from
European call for tenders to which 42 practices responded, and
confusion as to who the principal 'client' is. For example, in a
of which twelve were long-listed. This long list was then reduced
joint public/private partnership set up to master-plan or develop
to five practices, all of whom were visited, 'and asked to present
a run-down urban quarter in which a library is going to be a key
their vision to us. So we didn't ask for a design sketch but rather
element, who is the principal client? Is it:
for a story' (Arets, 2005: 134). The winning architect, Wiel Arets,
was chosen on the basis that his presentation consisted of
• the partnership providing the funding package?
passing round a postcard of Piet Mondrian's famous late painting,
• the local authority which has historically provided and Broadway Boogie Woogie, with its free flow of spaces and forms,
managed libraries and has designated the library element? and then some on the spot sketches and discussion about how
one embodied freedom in form. After several concept sketches
• the senior library management team who have the
and lengthier exchanges of ideas, according to project manager
professional expertise required to develop the programme and
Bas Savenije, 'there was an immediate interchange and that's
brief?
what we fell for' (Arets, 2005: 134).
• the tax-paying public whose monies are contributing to the
library of which many will be the principal end users?

'Identifying the client' is a great game to play, but when it goes LEARNING FROM OTHERS
wrong the results can be expensive and long-lasting. Surely in
the end it is the community of library staff, library users and When thinking about a new library it makes sense to see what
would-be users whose interests represent the core of the 'client' people are doing in other parts of the world. Without this wider
persona. perspective, people often are limited in their imagination to what
they already know, and consultation simply becomes a form of
Increasingly clients are selecting architects by a mixture of asking how a new building might do the old things better rather
long-listing, short-listing, discussion and negotiation, rather than than marking out entirely new territory. 'Few authorities appeared
straightforward competition for a finished design. In the case to have undertaken a rigorous approach to planning their new
of the commissioning of the new library at Cranfield University, libraries; Jared Bryson and his colleagues noted in 2003. 'Many
a shortlist of six practices was compiled based on the following have relied on previously successful local models and only a
selection criteria: handful appeared to have considered national and international
standards: American library planning consultant Robert Rohlf
• Quality of existing buildings - both interiors and exteriors is quoted as saying that in large libraries, 'the majority of the
professional staff have never worked in any other library, so
• Functionality - did these buildings work?
their options for change are "more" or "bigger", not "different'''
• Library experience preferable (Mattern, 2007: 15).

• Commitment - how much did they want the job?

Development of design possibilities by accretion can work, but
• Size of practice from time to time a particular building type needs an entirely
new configuration - or, if you like, a paradigm shift. This is
• Cost control and management experience
particularly the case where, as we shall discover in the case

68 69
 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

studies, a new city centre library is intended not only to provide Thus each library programme is different depending on the
new library facilities but is also intended to contribute to community it serves. This increasing 'differentiation of library
re-shaping the identity of a new district or development area, type' which we are seeing as a result of co-location projects and
and set a strong civic mark on the terrain, as has happened in customised facilities means that there is no longer a single model
Bournemouth, Brighton, Cardiff, Dagenham, Newcastle upon Tyne,
Norwich and in other towns and cities.

Encouraging politicians and planners, library staff and users

to travel to see what is exciting and innovative elsewhere is a
good way of raising the stakes. In the Norwich case, visits were
made to major English, European and American public libraries.
In preparation of the design brief for the Newcastle city library,
a small contingent of the bid team 'did a quick hop across to
Malmo, in Sweden, taking in Copenhagen's Black Diamond library
in Denmark at the same time: They and others also visited a
number of new libraries in London, including the new British
Library and the Idea Store in Whitechapel. The Cardiff team
were bowled over by Jo Coenen's Amsterdam library when they
visited it, and the influence shows at every level - and succeeds.
Birmingham library officers visited new libraries in Amsterdam,
Helsinki and Seattle, as well as attending several conferences
devoted to matters of new library design. When planning a new
library in Salt Lake City, the existing library board

was given books and articles to read, and speakers were

invited to give the board a basic knowledge of architectural
styles, contemporary architects, and architectural criticism.
They visited the new public libraries of the western United
States, with each board member evaluating designs based on
some general and some personally defined criteria.
(Mattern, 2007: 86)

The facilities and services which public libraries provide are

changing to meet new cultural needs and interests, at an
ever-increasing pace of cultural and technological transformation,
particularly in response to the development of new media
in digital form, whether music, film, e-books, talking books,
computer software, online access to the Internet, and so on.
Even within the last two decades records, videos, CDs and audio-
tapes have come and gone, as the whole cultural sphere becomes
increasingly de-materialised as part of the new 'weightless
economy: This process of adaptation is not new: library buildings
in Britain in the 1930s often incorporated a small art gallery,
theatre or even a film theatre. They also loaned out framed
prints and jigsaw puzzles. Today, libraries may well incorporate
computer training suites, advice centres, careers services, cafes,
toy libraries and homework centres. They are rapidly becoming
'plug-in' hubs for people who want access to cultural products -
books, music, films, spoken word, and information - but want to
down load it rather than carry the physical items home. Figure 5.4 Amsterdam Public Library designed by Jo Coenen & Co
Arch,tecten, opened In 2008, and much vIsited by librarians from around the
world (Photos: Mike Llewellyn)

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

to be adhered to - hence the importance of visiting a range of buildings resemble one another, at least in terms of their
new libraries elsewhere to assess the extent to which customisation exterior shape and skins. There are indeed some programmatic
can work to provide something different and new in library design elements and interior design elements that have become
depending on the people and place it is intended to serve. In common to many newly constructed buildings, but the diversity
America this process of increasing differentiation is also happening: of shapes and structures and styles of the modern-day public
library evidences the search for localised, particularized
There are new libraries in cities as diverse as New York, solutions for some widely shared design problems.
Minneapolis, San Antonio, and Nashville, and no two of these (Mattern, 2007: 63)

Figure 5.5 Interior of new public library and community centre In former mining community of Houghton Le
Spring, near Sunderland

Figure 5.6 New art gallery In refurbished public library at Bishop Auckland by Ainsworth Spark Associates

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 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

March Library and Learning Centre, Cambridgeshire

Opened in August, 2000 in the small market town of March, Unusually, this public library also shares the building with the
in Cambridgeshire, this inexpensive, ostensibly simple design town's Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, and is licensed
is a wonderful building to visit and use. Designed by Bernard for marriage services, which are frequent. Both wedding suite
Stillwell Architects, it is 1,000 square metres of single floor and public library share the same entrance doors and lobby. The
space, with significant glass walling and clerestory, giving high marriage room doubles as a 50 seat meeting room, and there
levels of natural light, and uncluttered sight lines across the are also individual interview rooms, 21 computer terminals, and
main library open plan floor. The timber-framed building seems a programme of formal and informal courses leading to Level 3
both traditional in its easy-to-understand basic construction, qualifications. The capital cost of the building was £1.25 million,
yet it offers all the light and space usually associated with an extremely modest outlay for a building which has won
steel, concrete and glass forms. Interior design was by Leonore national esteem and won a Civic Trust Award in 20032003.. It is set
Charlton, a library design consultant. in a small landscaped park, set back from the main high street.

March Library Site Plan Berna rd Stilwe l l Architects

Figure 5 .7 Site p la n of Ma rch Lib rary. Ca mb ndge

ridge sshire
rll re.. deSigne
deSignedd by Bernard
Berna rd Stillwell Architects

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Contemporary Library Architecture

March library Cross Section Bernard St il we ll A rc h i tects

Figure 5.8 Cross-section of March l ibrary, Cambndgeshlre, d esigned by Bernard Stillwe ll Architects

Figure 5.9 March library

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 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

Figure 5.10 Ma rch Li b rary In tenor

Furthermore, today's library services may be offered in buildings LIMITS OF CONSULTATION

alongside other public services, sometimes in unusual and
intriguing combinations. A number of libraries in former Some forms of consultation are more credible and strategic than
mining communities in Durham and Sunderland also operate others. During the long building programme for the Library of
as 'electronic village halls'. In Bishop Auckland, the library Birmingham, the site hoardings were very effectively used to show
shares a rehabilitated town hall with a beautiful art gallery and plans, drawings, computer generated graphics, and timetable for
theatre. In Houghton Le Spring close to Sunderland, the design the development, and these attracted a lot of interest. Keeping the
of the new library centre also incorporates a children's nursery, public informed is important. It is likely that existing library users
a youth centre and local police facilities. The library in March, have a greater investment in the success of a new library than
Cambridgeshire, designed by Bernard Stillwell Associates, and non-users - though this latter group might be attracted by services
winner of a 2003 Civic Trust Award, houses the local Registrar of and facilities not currently available. Any form of provision, whether
Births, Marriages and Deaths, as well as a marriage suite. Changes commercial or public, is more sustainable in the long term if it
in services and functions obviously mean changes in design and succeeds in keeping the existing clientele satisfied - and building
plan. Traditional library design has to be adapted or superseded, on that base - rather than aiming for an entirely new audience.
sometimes by radically new configurations of services and spaces. We know that families with young children, as well as older people,
are amongst the most loyal and committed of library users, and
A particularly imaginative assembly of library and cultural therefore basic things like the provision of toilets, baby-changing
facilities can be found in Apeldoorn in The Netherlands, designed facilities, comfortable seats, as well as an opportunity to buy
by Herman Hertzberger. Known as CODA (Cultuur Onder Oak refreshments, are all important. In the consultation exercise for the
Apeldoorn) it brings together two museums, a theatre auditorium new library in Huntingdon, according to designer Leonore Charlton,
and a public library in an elegant meeting place for the town. A the main requirements the public emphasised were 'a cafe, toilets
variety of very different sizes and volumes of spaces are typically and car parking:
connected by bridges, galleries and ramps so that people can
move easily from one facility to the next while observing a range However, in an interesting example of how consultation can
of different activities going on around them. The sloping curved sometimes produce failed predictive information, the consultation
roof of the auditorium falls to ground level and can be used as a for the Newcastle library found that many users of the local
children's play area, as well as an outdoor performance space. history library asked for public lockers to be installed there. On

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

paper this made sense, as many of those studying local or family Thus in designing the brief, no single interest group or partisan
history often came for long periods, and wanted somewhere to point of view should be allowed to prevail. Librarians know many
put hats, coats, bags, etc. Yet though provided they have been things which architects don't - but the reverse is equally true.
rarely used, and take up valuable space that could have been In some of the best new libraries in the UK, librarians have told
used for other purposes. me how they have been fascinated and greatly impressed by the
design solutions which architects have proposed to what were
In the USA Shannon Mattern reports that public involvement in thought to have been intractable problems. In turn architects
library design has had mixed results: have often been surprised to realise just how diverse the modern
library 'offer' is, and the range of people and needs that today's
When done well - that is, when the public's comments are taken public libraries serve.
seriously and applied to the design and when discussion is kept
at an abstract level rather than fixating on details - public The public interest in these matters is best described as a matter
processes can rally a community around a design project and of trust. Library users rely on library professionals and architects
promote a tremendous sense of civic pride. When done poorly - though they may no longer defer to them - to work together
- that is, when the public is asked to financially support a to provide a building which delights and is a pleasure to use. But
library but is then completely shut out of the process, or when then again, library users know from experience many things that
a public is led to believe that every voice will hear itself echoed designers need to know too. In truth one suspects that not many
in the library building (a promise impossible to keep) - a public architects are avid users of public libraries, and therefore they
process elicits resentment and may damage the library's place in should listen to, and observe, those who are. A multi-perspectival
public culture. view is required today.
(Mattern, 2007: 29)

Figure 5.11 Corner entrance to Apeldoorn Cultural Centre In The Netherlands, designed by Herman Hertzberger

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 Developing the brief and establishing a project management team

Figure 5.12 Facade of eXisting Apeldoorn Library

Figure 5.13 Cafe and gallery at Apeldoorn Cultural Centre and Library

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CHAPTER 6

Places and partners

In the previous chapter, the four elements of 'places, partners, programmes

and people' were identified as being central to the design brief As with any
public facility, locational issues are crucial to the success of any new-build
development. Most of the newer Libraries occupy key city-centre sites as part
of their role in urban renewal. A number have benefited directly or indirectly
from planning gain agreements, land swaps, funding from major developers and
other financial arrangements made with private sector bodies and development
agencies, which have helped provide them with strategic city-centre sites where
they operate as part of the retaiL!cultural mix. Furthermore, the new open
plan spaces of the modern Library often continue the life of the street and the
public domain. Younger people, especiaLLy, are drawn to modern design and bold
interiors, and are becoming more committed Library users. Many newer Libraries,
both large and smaLL, also incorporate space and facilities for other activities,
whether drop-in clinics, complementary medicine services, art gaLLeries, recording
studios, performance spaces, local radio stations and a variety of other services
wishing to 'co-locate' in the new facility.

It is time to consider a number of key generic elements of any they are able to argue that they are following government advice
design brief for a public library, starting with the matter of location. which is that: 'Local authorities should regularly review the
footprint of the library service to determine whether they have
the right buildings in the right place' (Hodge, 2010: 9).

PLACES While library design issues share much the same priorities in the
ocation
Location UK as in North America, with regard to the need to occupy a
central or 'downtown' location, the one major difference is car
There is no doubt that the once extensive network of central, parking. To my knowledge provision for car parking has barely
district and branch libraries is retreating in the UK. In recent featured in any UK design brief, though it was mentioned in
years the number of library buildings in continuing use has Huntingdon. However, it figures strongly in American proposals
diminished. Local authorities claim that they no longer have the - including provision for snowmobiles in some states - as it no
money to sustain a large number of small branch libraries, and doubt does in parts of Scandinavia. Indeed, as Shannon Mattern
have either closed those which are less busy, or handed them has emphasised, a number of new libraries in America have been
over to community management in some form or other. In this designed so as to show their best face to the passing motorist,

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 Places and partners

and have even put their main entrance opening out into the retail activity during the daytime. A national survey in the UK
parking lot rather than on to the pedestrian street. Queens found that 'exactly half of all new libraries were associated with
Borough Public Library in New York designed by the Polshek retail developments' (Bryson et aI., 2003: 68). Lest it be thought
Partnership has been one of the great success stories in American that libraries were beholden to retailers to bring their services to
public libraries in recent times, its bold street corner flagship the most desired locations, retailers themselves are often even
building now a major meeting place in the downtown area. Its more enthusiastic to have this 'anchor business' integrated into
prow-shaped glass facade was designed 'as a counterpart to the their malls and shopping streets, both to consolidate the retail
vault-like and seemingly impenetrable character of public libraries 'mix', as well as to bring a degree of civic status to any new
of the past; according to former library director, Gary Strong development.
(Mattern, 2007: 39). Capturing and consolidating a corner-site so
successfully has been echoed at Bournemouth, and at Calne in One of the earliest and most successful examples of this was
Wiltshire. the creation of a new central library for Hounslow in the new
shopping centre, opened in the early 1990s. This had been
Despite retrenchment many new libraries have been built during agreed as part of the planning gain, though a number of retailers
this same period. They have either replaced existing buildings in at the time were sceptical about having a public service in a
strategic centres where demand remains high, or are integrated setting geared to shopping. In fact the library quickly proved to
into new developments intended to bring cultural life to a new be one of the busiest tenants in the development, and brought
part of the town or city, as is the case with Dagenham and Canada hundreds of people every day to the centre, who also used the
Water as well as the beautiful Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona. surrounding commercial facilities. The new library at Shepherd's
Thus location issues are central to the strategic thinking behind Bush in west London is part of the enormous Westfield shopping
new library provision, either with the intention of maximising mall, and its new location, only a hundred metres or so from its
use because this is where people are now mostly to be found, or former building, has tripled visitor figures compared with those
because there are funding programmes or partnerships to be had of the library it replaced, now adapted for other uses. This £2
which can help underwrite the costs of the new building. million library was built and fitted out entirely at the expense of
the developer under a Section 106 planning agreement, which is
Not surprisingly, the location of many new library buildings has used to procure public benefits from private development. It was
been largely determined by changing patterns and densities of designed by FaulknerBrowns architects.

Shepherd 's Bush Library, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Opened in September 2009, the library is part of a Section The exterior design is bland, but is part of the overall mall
106 planning gain ag ree ment from the large-sca le new design code, though the li brary occupies a ground-level
Westfield Shopping Mall - which the library bookends at its corner site which is much to its ad vantage. The entrance
western extremity - with a Jamie Oliver restaurant perched is made up of two sets of autom atica lly opening double-
on its roof. The £2 million pound building - part designed doors . There is a minimal reception desk/library counter,
by FaulknerBrowns - was built and fitted out at zero cost to as self-service is mostly used, and library staff concentrate
the taxpayer as a result of this deal, and replaces the old on circu lating and keeping the stock and shelves in order
Passmore Edwards library loca ted only a street away. Where the and answe ring visitor queries. The immed iate entrance area
previous library rarely attracted more than 500 visits a day, provides little immediate orientation and is disappointing,
the new library is achieving daily visitor numbers of between whereas the children 's area, the mezzanine study ftoor, and
1,300 and 2,000, which is astonishing for a library still very the rear ground -ftoor lounge area all have a very strong
sma ll in terms of ftoor space and book-stock (though 10,000 design presence and convivia lity. Th e most serious design
new books were added to the existing stock). It appears to be flaw is that the public toilets have been located in the
a predominantly young group of library users, many attracted (most ly unsupervised) children's library, contrary to ch ild -
by free WiFi facilities, bringing their own laptops, and the protection principles, allowing unrestricted public access
upstairs mezzanine study area is always packed and the by adu lts to dedicated child ren's facilities.
atmosphere remarkably quiet and purposive.

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Contemporary Library Architecture

There are severaL small meeting rooms and interview rooms degree of anti-social behaviou r, as might be anticipated. A
for hire, though those upstairs - including the staff area - higher than average proportio n of Loca Lpeople live transitory,
are mostly small and window Less, as are the admi nistratio n isoLated or economica lly marginal Lives, and the library aLso
rooms. The Library is too small to provide a cafe area, but the has to serve these visitors too - which it does. Though Library
adjacent maLL is fuLL of eating pLaces. Vending machines were staff had Li ttLe say in the design as far as one ca n gather, the
installed at the beginning but were subseq uentLy taken out as building is extreme Ly successfu l and attractive in its major
they failed to generate sufficient income to warrant their hire. areas, thoug h poor in some details. Yet in terms of visitor
numbers, for a Li brary of this size it is phenomenally busy and
The Library operates in one of the most intense, coLo urful and weLL used.
busiest urban environments in London, where there is also a

Figure 6 .1 Shepherd's Bush Library occup ies a corner Sl-e, much to I s advan age

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 Places and partners

The Cardiff library was part-funded by developers who were keen books, music and film. Glasgow's library managers told me
to add a strong cultural element to the extension of retailing that the key factor for embarking on a large programme of
in this formerly rundown part of the city. The combination of library refurbishments was as a direct response to the arrival of
shopping and library-use is well established, and is particularly Waterstone's Bookshop in the city, which had created a media
so for young people. A survey of young people's spending power frenzy.
undertaken by academics at the University of Sheffield some
years ago revealed that combining a Saturday trip to go shopping Thus there is a continuing symbiosis between the modern library
with a visit to the library was a popular choice amongst those and the modern bookshop. In both cases staff are trained to be
questioned. more outward-going, increasingly required to abide by a dress
code which gives them an air of both service and authority, and
In the case of the new library at Stratford in east London, a are there to advise visitors and browsers on the stock just as
priority was given to attracting young people into the library, much as they are there to stand behind an issue desk or till.
as this age group was forming a significant section of the Both bookshops and libraries cultivate something of a club-like
population. As the then Head of Library and Information ambience by providing comfortable armchairs and settees, as well
Services noted, 'It's an acknowledgement of Newham having the as providing somewhere to buy coffee. The library in Newcastle
youngest population in London. It's one of the fastest growing is actively involved in promoting and selling books about local
populations and has the highest birth rate in London now. So all and regional history and culture, often produced by small amenity
these considerations were taken into account in the design of groups or publishing initiatives which otherwise would not have
the library' (Bryson et ai., 2003: 42). This focus was not without access to such premier retail space. Today the inter-relationship
problems, given that the large library foyer on the ground floor between the public library and the world of contemporary city
was laid out as a 'Teenzone' with armchairs, sofas and a large centre retailing and commercial cyber-cafes is firmly established,
television screen showing music videos, which older library users though the library's civic remit will always make it somewhere
disliked. As some librarians admitted later, when interviewed, special and unique for many people.
'While they got the teenagers in, they alienated a lot of the older
people which make up a big group: One result was that while The living room in the city
other libraries locally continued to get lots of older users visiting
and spending a long time in their libraries, this pattern almost An equally important aspect of the 'central place' aspect of the
disappeared from the new Stratford library. newer city-centre libraries is that the ground floor of many of
them provides a floor space which continues the urban space
To a lesser extent reduced use by the elderly was also reported of the city outside. In Rotterdam the ground floor of the large
at the Norwich Millennium Library, partly evidenced by a lower 1970s building (now after some controversy formally attributed to
than expected take-up of large print material, with some older architects Bakema & Weeber) extends the life of the famous street
people admitting they prefer to use the smaller, quieter branch market outside. It provides exhibition space, toilets, information
libraries. However, this was certainly not the case when I visited bureaux and events, while acting as a viewing floor for the
the Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona, the ground floor reading open-deck tiers of library floors visible above. In Newcastle this
room of which was packed with older people reading quietly and connection to the streets around was deliberate, according to the
enjoyably. This library is, admittedly, a branch library serving a project architects:
neighbourhood location.
The development of the library site offered the potential
Modern libraries have a much closer relationship to modern to transform the urban landscape around the building and
retailing than would have been expected - or even approved reinforce the physical and visual linkages between the Blue
of - in the past. But this is a two-way process. The rise of the Carpet (an adjacent open square) and the Laing Art Gallery
Waterstone's chain of bookshops in the 1980s was attributed to on one side, and Princess Square on the other. At the core of
their high levels of design and bibliographical expertise; they also the concept was a synthesis of the architectural and townscape
encouraged the culture of browsing, providing armchairs in which design so that external spaces and movement patterns could
customers could relax and peruse the book stock, even while flow into and through the building. This required the creation
drinking a coffee. At the time Waterstone's management said of a distinct personality for each space.
they had tried to appear more like libraries than fast-turnover (Phethean, 2009: 71. My italics).
bookshops. The compliment has been returned, as libraries have
been more active in the promotion of reading, in highlighting Furthermore, as Tony Durcan, the librarian principally responsible
new books, and changing displays of different kinds of thematic for overseeing the Newcastle scheme, has elaborated: 'When

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

I'm waxing lyrical I say a good library is one of the best quality In the new Birmingham library it is envisaged that:
public squares with a roof on top where you can sit and be
warm, you can work, or you can look at newspapers or you can The foyer will be a vital element of the new development. It
just feel secure' (Phethean, 2009: 32). This could be a verbatim will be large, capable of hosting events, containing 'tasters'
description of the penthouse cafe at Whitechapel's Idea Store. and trails to entice people to explore further within the
The concept of the public library as 'the living room in the city', library, and mounting an exciting programme of performances
originally a Scandinavian concept, is now being emulated across relevant to the collections of the library - examples might
the world. include poetry in performance, promenade theatre, children's
entertainment, street artists, author readings, musical events
I first heard of the 'living room in the city' when visiting a new and community information programmes. The foyer must
library in Ornskoldsvik in the north of Sweden in the late 1990s. be designed to serve a number of purposes and different
My visit occurred in the midst of winter, with temperatures well audiences, throughout the day and evening.
below freezing, and thick snow lay everywhere. People visiting the
library often came for the day, using lockers to change from heavy A new high profile location creates an opportunity to make
outdoor wear and snow-boots, into casual clothes and footwear, a bold statement about the importance of the library in
sometimes even slippers. In many of the libraries featured in contemporary life and culture, and this has not been missed in
the book Nordic Public Libraries (Larsen, 2006), there is a glazed many of the newer city centre UK libraries featured in the case
conservatory-style entrance lobby, tiled, operating as something studies. One of the library staff working in the new Stratford
like a domestic porch or lobby, where people change shoes, divest library in east London, designed by Miller Bourne Partnership
themselves of wet clothing, and put umbrellas or pushchairs. At (with FaulknerBrowns responsible for interior design), said that
Ornskoldsvik library users often brought sandwiches and flasks of 'The simple fact that the building is where it is, is its biggest
coffee, though catering facilities were provided. They not on ly promotional statement: In Stockholm three new subway libraries
came to borrow books or to browse the collections, but also to located at busy metro stations have proved popular, and the
meet friends, listen to lunchtime concerts, and to attend talks initiative was awarded a prize by the city's Chamber of Commerce
or lectures. Outside the temperature was bitterly cold; inside the for making the city a better place to live. The new library at
library it was room temperature, warm and welcoming. It was, in Canada Water designed by Piers Gough's practice, CZWG, sits
short, the town salon, or living room. In time this has become literally on top of a combined overground and underground
something of a prototype for the new library. railway station. A strategic and high profile location not only

Figure 6.2 Uppsala Library Reading Room

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 Places and partners

brings new people into the library, it also adds a substantial has to exude an air of brightness and efficiency - as well as
drawing power to the shops and services which surround it. In connectedness to global networks.
North America this 'living room in the city' is more customarily
called an 'urban room', and is specifically called so in Moshe In the MOA study cited earlier, though many respondents idealised
Safdie's Salt Lake City Library, where it is a distinct space leading the Victorian, Arts and Crafts, or other mannered architectural
to the library and can be used out of hours. In this it is like the styles of pre-war library provision, younger respondents enthused
large public atrium at Norwich. about the steel and glass libraries of the present day. However,
there seemed to be a shared dislike of post-war brutalist styles,
With this new premium on providing space to congregate, not only for their outward appearance, but for their interior
however briefly, or to sit down and browse a collection of colour palette too.
books, more than usual space is needed. IFLA guidelines suggest
circulation space of 15 per cent-20 per cent for public areas (Our 1960s library) looks like nothing so much as the
and 20 per cent-25 per cent for staff areas, but this may not be headquarters of the Secret Police in some dingy corner of
enough for the former, if the library is to function successfully Eastern Europe. It is an ugly block of grey concrete made
as a meeting-place. The new wing at Enfield Library, an elegant even greyer by the water that runs off its flat roof; all sharp
Miesian glass box designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter, looks angles and blank plate glass windows ...
light and airy from the outside but the foyer is cluttered, and the
ground floor is filled with an over-abundance of display stands, (My library) is fifties-built brick. Stalin era, one storey edifice
tables and badly placed shelving failing to create any sense of with grilled and barred windows, fortified doors, vandal proof
arrival or coherent resting space whatsoever. benches outside and a small litter strewn car park ...
(Black, 2011b: 34)
One design principle which can work against this idea of the
library space - or part of it at least - as an urban living room, is
an equally powerful tendency to design the interior spaces around
an atrium - criticism of which by Rem Koolhaas has already been
noted. While this can produce stunning and highly transparent
interiors, in which users can at a glance see all the floors and
the escalators and lifts to access them, it renders the idea of
sanctuary space problematic. Certainly the ground floor becomes a
public arena rather than a public lounge or quiet place.

World of interiors

'It smells of beige, if that's possible; said one respondent to the

MOA survey of people's views of the libraries they use. 'Everything
inside is beige or chocolate, plastic brown. It was supposed to
be exciting but it isn't: One library manager told me some years
ago that he thought many library staff 'lacked visual imagination'.
Pre-occupied with books, texts, maps, archives and cataloguing
systems, they appeared at times indifferent to the quality of
their surroundings - even though we know that when questioned
many library staff in fact attach a great deal of importance to
their working conditions, even if this is not the same thing. As
Brian Edwards has shrewdly pointed out, 'Architects perceive
libraries as space, librarians as service' (Edwards, 2009: 70).
Today the public most certainly are interested in design,
legibility and accessibility. While older people recall the dark
brown wood and high shelving of the libraries of their childhood,
along with a sense of the mystique of the library staff and their
arcane world of card indexes, pastel cardboard library cards and
rubber stamping machines, for today's library users the building Figure 6.3 Cardiff Central Library designed by BDP: connecting views

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 6.4 Aberdeen University Library: the view from above of the cafe-foyer area

In fairness, the problem with so much now-derided public Colour plays an increasingly important role in differentiating
architecture of the post-war era, was lack of maintenance different parts of the library, through what is now called a 'colour
and repair, rather than a failure of architectural imagination. mnemonic': each floor may be colour-coded differently to emphasise
Refurbished libraries of this period, such as Sheffield University's its distinct sphere of operation, whether this be children's section,
Western Bank Library opened in 1961, designed by Gollins Melvin fiction, non-fiction, and so on. However, some designers have
Ward (wholly refurbished by Avanti Architects in 2009), or Sir reservations about too much fixed differentiation - either by colour,
Basil Spence's 1964 Swiss Cottage Central Library (refurbished by floor surface or other design cue - as this reduces opportunities for
John McAslan & Partners in 2003) or the 1970 Ewell Library in the future re-configuration of the spaces.
Surrey designed by A.G. Sheppard Fidler and Associates, have all
emerged from under wraps looking startlingly fresh and exciting. Opinion is mixed with regard to the use of colour. The new
Perhaps the most welcome development in building budgets in Canada Water library has multi-coloured carpet tiles throughout,
the last decade or more has been the time and thought given except for the ground floor which has hardwood flooring. The
to life-cycle costing rather than capital outlay - realising that rest of the building is mainly handsome light-wood shelving,
spending more on quality materials at the outset along with a with white walls, not dissimilar to the British Library, the Jaume
fully worked out maintenance schedule, over time ends up costing Fuster Library in Barcelona and dozens of Scandinavian libraries.
less than economising on costs at the beginning but having The over-exuberant use of colour at Barking Library is somewhat
to constantly spend large sums of money on repairs, and even dizzying and almost aggressive.
premature abandonment or demolition.

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 Places and partners

Letting the light in cylindrical concrete columns. Inside there is a mezzanine

floor containing an art gallery, lecture theatre and staff
A long-standing feature of library architecture has involved trying accommodation. A series of roof lanterns bring light into the
to create as much natural light in the main reading areas as is centre of the deep-plan book hall. There are of course dangers
possible, whether by the round clerestory in Asplund's Stockholm to providing too much glazing, especially in south-facing
City Library dome, in Aalto's revolutionary roof-lights at Viipuri, facades such as those at Linkoping (and in the UK at Brighton
through to the astonishing conical rooflight which illuminates the and Cranfield for example). At Linkoping a wide roof overhang,
heart of Mecanoo's university library at Delft. It is no accident combined with automated blinds, is the principal means of
that Henning Larsen's extension to Malmo's historic city library combating over-heating, along with a limestone surround to
is called Ljusets Kalender ('The Calendar of Light), described by the floor below, in which pipes are inserted to provide cooling
Peter Davey (1998) as a great hall where a 'continuous skylight or heating at the edges as required. The Brighton glass facade
circles the whole space, so that the volume continuously changes is shielded by louvres which deflect the sun in the summer
with the time of the day, weather and the seasons: In the months but allow the low winter sunlight to enter, along with
case studies provided in this book, designs to encourage the automatically opening vents which circulate air (supported by
larger areas of the library to be lit naturally can be seen in the five wind towers). The Cranfield interior is protected from direct
circular clerestory at Ewell in Surrey, in the large ceiling lantern sunlight by a large roof overhang - though on a particularly bright
at Cambourne, the central light well at Huntingdon library, the winter's day a low sun can reach some areas and dazzle users.
clerestory panels at March, the three-sided glazed atrium at
Newcastle upon Tyne, the north-facing glazed side-panels which Large glazed exterior walls also allow library buildings to glow
run the full height of Sheffield University's Information Commons, after dark - illuminating the interior like a stage set - and
as well as Rem Koolhaas' glass and steel mesh skin which covers this offers an invitation to passers by to enter and join in the
the whole exterior of Seattle Central Public Library. Good lighting activities on view. Indeed, the view at night is now as much a
is essential to the act of reading, whether it is achieved by feature of the architectural photography of the modern library
natural lighting, general lighting or task-lighting on desks - or a as is the daytime image. The photograph of the Mediatheque
combination of these. Jean-Pierre Melvillle & Bibliotheque Marguerite Duran in
Paris clearly demonstrates the enlivening effect of this urban
New building materials and curtain-walling techniques have transparency. The library is not only a beacon architecturally
allowed more of the modern library's walls to be almost wholly and symbolically, it can literally become one in the night-time
glazed, and more and more study and informal reading spaces are townscape, especially when much else around the building is
being pushed out of the centre of the library space to the well-lit closed.
edges. In the case of Delft University Library, the conical light
well is encircled on each floor with study desks taking advantage
of the light flooding in from above. This renewed emphasis
on natural light is not only desirable as a form of energy PARTNERS
conservation, but it enables library users to spend more time in
the building, and to regard it as a meeting place as well as a Public libraries have often been incorporated into buildings
place in which to burrow away in order to study - though these serving other functions, whether they be art galleries, theatres,
latter spaces are also still available between the stacks. health clinics or apartment blocks. This is usually so that costs
can be shared with other providers. In modern parlance this
The modern library now looks outwards to the world, is termed co-location, and the range of partners or facilities
metaphorically and literally: certainly compared to earlier models conjoined in recent times includes swimming pools, health
of library design emphasising the closed, interior world of study centres, youth services, police offices, radio stations, as well as
and contemplation. Views of adjacent parks, street scenes, rivers major retail chains and brand-name coffee shop franchises. In
and harbours (the latter a feature of Copenhagen's Black Diamond the new settlement of Cambourne in Cambridgeshire, the library
as well as Canada Water in London's docklands) are available from shares a building, as well as an entrance and common reception
the reading areas and study desks of these libraries. area, with a health centre, as it does at Clapham One, the latest
new library in London, designed by Studio Egret West, which
The library at Linkoping in Sweden, designed by Arkitektkontor, opened in 2012. At Clapham, Dagenham, Dalston and Boscombe
is essentially a large triple-height glazed wooden shed, triangular near Bournemouth, the new library was achieved in partnership
in plan, with a slightly tilted flat roof supported by internal with an adjacent or integrated housing development.

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 6.5 Medlatheque Jean-Pierre Melville In Paris, with strong visual connections between library and street

In their 2002 survey, completed by 70 UK libraries, researchers at The Winchester Discovery Centre is a new concept of the public
the University of Sheffield found some 44 different organisations library, since it now provides library services in an integrated
sharing premises or enjoying partnership arrangements for the building which also houses two exhibition galleries (one large,
provision of services, including arts organisations, housing one small), a fully equipped 1S0-seat Performance Hall (which
associations, community groups, health boards, regeneration can be used for dance classes or conferences), a self-contained
companies, adult learning services, after-school clubs, assembly room with catering and bar (which also houses
universities, early learning centres, Citizens' Advice Bureaux, the fiction stock during the day-time) and a variety of other
careers services, schools, tourist information, amongst others. In amenities which brings a very wide range of additional users to
the case studies described in this book, new libraries have worked the building.
in close co-operation with commercial coffee-shop franchises,
local radio stations, registry offices and repertory theatres. In Likewise, the University of Worcester's new city centre campus in
Bournemouth a number of external agencies have a presence Worcester, 'The Hive', designed by architects Fielden Clegg Bradley
in the Central Library, including Connexions (information and Studios and completed in the summer of 2012, brings together in
guidance for 13-19 year olds), Connect2Learning, Care Direct one landmark building:
(monthly drop-in centre for over-60s), Businesslink Wessex and
European Information Centre, Dorset Record Office. The library at • A fully integrated public and university library
Hook houses a recording studio on the first floor.
• Worcestershire Record Office

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 Places and partners

Figure 6.6 Library & Health Centre at Cambourne In Cambridge, designed by West Hart Partnership (Practice)

Figure 6.7 Interior of Library & Health Centre at Cambourne In Cambridge, showing common foyer, waiting area and
reading room

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

• Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service nor suffers any deleterious effects by sharing the same site or
building. If it enjoys flat-mate status then there is some synergy
• Worcestershire Hub Customer Service Centre.
between what the services are offering (e.g. health centre or
sixth-form college). If it is a proper marriage then the library is
Its design is intended to achieve a BREEAM environmental
actively co-producing services and achieving economies of scale,
assessment of 'Excellent', embodying as it does a range of
such as might be found in a joint public and university library.
environmental features such as bio-mass heating, river water
cooling, rainwater harvesting, use of recycled materials and a core
The majority of new libraries involve either some kind of public-
structure of concrete providing the thermal mass to assist both
private sector funding or planning concordance, or are co-located
heating and cooling.
with other rent-paying, cost-sharing amenities, whether this be
a performance space (Birmingham, Winchester, Seattle), an art
Such partnerships not only bring in additional funding -
gallery (Bishop Auckland, Winchester), or a restaurant/cafe in
particularly revenue funding vital to long term maintenance
many cases. Not all co-located projects work. In smaller libraries
and repair - but also bring in new library users whose activities
it is very difficult to run a cafe at an operating profit, and the
can underwrite the provision of expensive hardware such as
key strategic decision here is to what degree the library service is
computers, scanners and photocopiers. However dual-use libraries
prepared to subsidise a facility that may not add significant value
can bring additional headaches along with the welcome joint-
to the overall enterprise, particularly if there are plenty of other
funding. These have been ably summarised by Ayub Khan, who
cafes nearby.
notes some of the following disadvantages:

Mattern describes a series of failed cafe and restaurant facilities

• A site that is not central and thus a drawback for one partner
in new American libraries, and this story is echoed in the
• Misunderstanding of the roles of the joint partners UK. In the otherwise highly successful and admired library
in Bournemouth, the large ground floor space allocated to a
• Mixed perceptions of the library's clientele by other partners
cafe-franchise witnessed a succession of caterers come and go,
• Governance problems though a successful franchise is now operating there. At the new
Barking library, the ground-floor atrium cafe proved commercially
• Problems of public access at different times to different parts
successful, but, alas, noise and odours permeated the upper
of the building (Khan, 2009: 81).
library and reading areas, and it has now been closed off. In
a refurbished library in Lewisham some years ago, the lobby
Researcher Sarah McNicol, who has studied the place of libraries
cafe proved initially successful but over time lost its popularity.
in co-location developments, amusingly describes them as being
It ended up providing a rather depopulated space, sometimes
of three kinds: the lodger, the flat-mate and the marriage partner
dominated by noisy teenagers, and therefore become a 'negative'
(McNicol: 2008). In the former case the library is largely stand-
space, potentially deterring some people from entering.
alone and neither takes advantage of its partner's services,

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 Places and partners

Figure 6.8 Boscombe Library, Bournemouth, a development by Hawkins Brown, including apartments

Figure 6.9 Gallery and art workshop at Winchester Discovery Centre

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CHAPTER 7

Programmes and people:

the changing library
programme
Though Libraries are now taking increasingly different stylistic forms, the core
programme has remained much the same. Today's designs do, however, have to
emphasise flexibility, given the rapidly changing material forms and modes of
consumption which contemporary culture is developing. Hence the rise of the
open-plan, non-segmented Library floor plan. Given the rise of many new media
formats available in Libraries it has to be decided whether to keep books and
digital media separate, or integrate them along with study spaces and reading
areas. Circulation patterns were once almost whoLLy determined by book-shelving
layouts; today the mixture of spaces and the sequencing of them is an important
element in way-finding - which also needs clear signage. Opening hours are
longer, and people are Likely to stay longer if they are studying - hence the need
for coffee shops and toilets, along with spaces for events.

The core function of a library is to provide access to books and the lending library, the reference library and the reading room.
information in a variety of media, in an ordered and managed Separate children's libraries or children's sections came later,
environment. In the case of the public library this provision is but soon joined the core plan. Other provision designed to
available to everybody, and free at the point of delivery. Charging supplement the building might have included lecture theatres,
fees for the loan of CDs, videos and DVDs was a late development, meeting rooms, art galleries, exhibition space. In a few places
opening the door to continuing debates about which cultural cinemas or screening rooms were added. Over time the reading
materials might elicit a lending charge. This then led to on-going room lost its distinctive place in the library schema and casual
discussions about cultural relativism and the role of libraries in reading was integrated into the main lending library area, though
providing free domestic entertainment. Anxieties about the new often in an area with formally arranged tables and chairs. Public
mixed economy of library provision have now subsided, with most toilets were often provided, with access usually controlled in
people now less worried about a range of charges for add-on or some form, via a key issued at the library desk. Many libraries
specialised services. abandoned the idea of providing public toilets, because of
problems with cleaning and/or vandalism, but the new libraries,
Libraries have often offered associated services and facilities with their understanding of how users are staying in the library
which consolidate and support this basic book-lending function. for longer periods of time, once again feel obliged to provide
The Victorian libraries consisted principally of three main areas: toilets, especially if they are also providing a coffee shop.

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 Programmes and people: the changing library programme

ANDREW CARNEGIE LIBRARY

& READING ROOMS
WEST DERBY, LIVERPOOL

Figure 7.1 Floor plan of West Derby Carnegie Library, 1905, re-drawn by Ian Worpole. Clear allocation
of spaces to functions, including separate reading rooms for 'Boys' and 'Ladles'

Though libraries in many towns and cities are stylistically There are still some enduring patterns in the library programme
different, the programme has remained fairly common. Today's which form the basis for the ground rules of design and scale,
designs do, however, have to emphasise flexibility, given the largely demographic and related to the catchment area and
rapidly changing material forms and modes of consumption population to be served.
which contemporary culture is developing. Hence the rise of
the open-plan, non-segmented library floor plan. Even so,
each individual library project will be different, responding to
a different set of client needs, projections, site conditions, SO WHAT DO PEOPLE USE LIBRARIES FOR?
townscape and historical context. Thus the design will need
to be wholly interwoven with the programme in an iterative, According to the most recently collected statistics on library use
self-correcting process. As architect Denise Scott Brown acutely in England alone (DCMS: 2010), the following percentages are
observed in a letter regarding the competition to design a new given for the most common activities pursued by library users:
library in Denver in 1990:
• Borrowing a book (81 per cent)
It should not be thought that the creation of a building
• Research (30 per cent)
is a linear process: programming, design, documentation,
construction. Design informs program as much as program • Children's activities (20 per cent)
informs design. Eliminate that interaction and the question
• Borrowing music, films or computer games (19 per cent)
may never catch up with the answer.
(Mattern, 2007: 18) • Using a computer (16 per cent)

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

• Accessing information on jobs, health, etc. (15 per cent) As the 2010 MLA national survey of library use concluded, 'Books
are still the main reason why most people use public libraries
• Taking advantage of a quiet place to study (13 per cent)
- and are seen as the core offer of the library service by users
• Other (9 per cent). and non-users alike' (MLA, 2010b). While the modern library
may not be designed specifically around the armature of the
What the priorities are in the programme may well differ between library shelving - as it was in the book-lined dome or series of
those of the staff providing them and what library users want. tiered galleries - and while modern shelving may be much more
Nowhere was this more graphically expressed than in research flexible in its design and mobility, nevertheless the attractive
cited by Bryson et at. (2003) when library staff and library users presentation and massing of the book-stock remains a key
were asked to score the strengths and weaknesses of the library feature of the library presence. Some people find the ground floor
service. The two main weaknesses identified by the public - by a lending library in the otherwise much-admired Brighton Jubilee
very significant margin - were opening hours and the range and Library disappointing - especially when compared with the same
quality of the stock. For librarians these ranked as low priorities. library's fine upper floor and side galleries. This is because it feels
For library staff the key weaknesses were too little space and somewhat shed-like, or even a place of temporary storage. Nor
building faults. Not surprisingly it is library staff who especially does the quality of the shelving and other aspects of the fitting
focus on building matters - because it is where they spend most out on the ground floor rise to the quality of the building itself.
of their working time, a lot of which might be compromised or
constrained by inappropriate space or building efficiency.

Figure 7.2 Floor plan of Parkhead District Library, Glasgow (Courtesy of Gerald Blalkle, Scotcltles). The children's library
has Its own entrance Into a separate basement, as at V"PUri. Separate Ladles' Reading Room

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 Programmes and people: the changing library programme

A PLACE FOR TECHNOLOGY

One area where there is broad agreement as to what the library

of the future needs is a significant increase in the amount of
study space: both individual spaces, as well as those designed for
group learning. Over three-quarters of new libraries surveyed by
Bryson et at. (2003) offered separate study space and increasing
amounts of it. 'To meet the library's growing role as provider
of lifelong learning, greater space is being devoted to group
work and training areas; they reported. The fact is that the
exponential rise in the student population - as a proportion of
the adult community - has resulted in a demand for study space
that many of the newer universities have failed to provide. In
the early 1990s, many public libraries reported that students
were 'squeezing out' other library users in the competition for
desk space and seating. At present it appears that the demand
for attractive study space in pleasant surroundings (as well as
the added bonus of free Wi-Fi and power sockets) is unlimited,
especially in urban areas with large student populations, as is
evident at the new library at Shepherd's Bush.

In nearly all the libraries visited during this study, computer

terminals used to access the Internet were filtered centrally for
inappropriate material. All local authorities have now developed
'Acceptable Use' policies. Either the children's library card and
the adult ID library card used to log-in automatically de-bars
users from accessing many sites, including social networking
Figure 7.3 Photographs of local scenes enliven ends of stand-alone shelving
sites for younger people. It was a surprise to read, therefore, that units at Huntingdon Library
in America there is an ongoing battle over the rights of library
users to access pornography on public computers, and librarians
have filed complaints against their own employers for creating recent (library) design projects in the USA; according to Shannon
a workplace situation which they find hostile and offensive Mattern (Mattern, 2007: 103). When people come through the
(Mattern, 2007: 171). door of a public library they need to come into a place whose
tone and ethos is set by the presence of books, no matter what
In many of the newer libraries, computer access and use is other media are available elsewhere in the building. This is why
integrated into the spatial layout of the book stock, rather than I find the ground floor of Richard Meier's Central Library in The
separated. As the Head of Library and Information Services in Hague problematic - it is basically an empty lobby with cafe,
Norwich observed: chairs, information desk, in too large a space with little visual
or intellectual stimulation. In contrast, although the ground
You've got to have the two. And I think that what is nice floor of Hans Scharoun's State Library in Berlin is similarly given
is that the two are integrated. We go into a lot of libraries over to exhibition space, catalogue cabinets, library counters
where the IT is all in one space together, and the books are and public foyer space, there are profoundly powerful and direct
all in another space, so you're almost recreating what we visual connections to the open plan reading room immediately
used to have in a lending and a reference section. Ideally the above and all around, via the atrium space and the wide, elegant
two need to be integrated. ceremonial staircases.

Despite these developments, the principal service of providing The danger of creating a void at ground-floor level was noted
a wide range of books to browse through, to use as reference at the 2011 Helsinki conference on new library design where
material, or to borrow, is still the core business of the public it was said that it 'is also good to remember the danger of
library, whether old or new, and provides its essential visual creating a non-space. If the space is not enough of something,
appeal. 'The visibility of books is a primary concern in many it can become nothing: By contrast with the ground floor of the

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 7.4 The Hague library, designed by Richard Meier, opened 1995

Hague library, when you enter Whitechapel's Idea Store, through For the more technical aspects of stack sizes distribution and
a labyrinth of street market stalls and bustling streets, the aisle clearances, Khan's book is excellent. Interestingly the quiet,
attractive book-filled spaces immediately establish a different busy, self-absorbed tone once set by books in the library has
tone and tempo. Likewise, although the fore-shortened ground- been to a degree consolidated by the very high numbers of people
floor of Canada Water library is largely book-free, the astonishing now using libraries for study, research, and Internet browsing.
staircase leads visitors almost immediately upwards to the main, Dagenham's upstairs computer suite is designated a Quiet Area,
expansive, library floors, leaving behind the everyday life of the but here and in most other libraries the proliferation of computer
street and reception area below. terminals or spaces for people to use their own laptops has given
the public library a restored ethos as a place where people quietly
Book stacks not only signal the presence of knowledge, culture get on with their own learning and development.
and memory, but their configuration and mass are also vital in
many other ways. As Ayub Khan has enumerated, the layout of
book stacks:
NEW MEDIA FORMATS
• Helps define routes through the library
Nevertheless, the rate of change in media formats is now capable
• Acts as acoustic barriers (very important in children's sections)
of undoing a library's allocation of space in a very short space
• Can be configured to create distinct reading areas at of time. The neat, easily shelved, orthogonal printed book
perimeter of floorspace dominated the way libraries, library cataloguing and storage
systems were designed, managed and presented within the
• Helps provide thermal mass (Khan, 2009: 113).
public library until very recently - with the familiar exception

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 Programmes and people: the changing library programme

of maps, newspapers and original documents usually held in the It is likely that in the near future many of these issues will resolve
reference section. Children's books, often large format, offered themselves, as more forms of cultural product are digitised. Already
some challenges to conventional shelving, mostly solved with much music is now accessed digitally by downloading material from
free-standing book boxes in which different sizes could be the Internet, and this is becoming increasingly the case with film
accommodated in one container. Nevertheless, the quality and material too. A growing proportion of library users who are sitting
configuration of the shelving established a key design feature at desks or in armchairs are using their own laptops to read, listen
of the historic public library. It was often very high, blocking to or watch library materials - as well as take advantage of free
sight-lines across the space or spaces of the library, becoming Wi- Fi provided by the library to browse the Internet. The space once
somewhat claustrophobic, though some people liked this sense of occupied by racks of CDs, videos and DVDs (let alone vinyl records)
the library as a labyrinth or bibliographical maze. is rapidly diminishing. Today libraries are making licensing deals
with providers of digital material for their members to access such
This core programme changed in some of the larger libraries with materials for free via their library membership card. The reading
the rise of the music library after the Second World War, and was room of the past, or the space allocated to viewing or listening,
solved by creating a new section - and in Brighton, for example, becomes the 'mixing chamber' symbolised in the Seattle library,
a separate building - for long-playing records and music scores. where people congregate to sit and quietly study, browse, watch or
In time different music formats emerged, including spoken word listen, almost entirely in their own worlds.
recordings, in the form of cassette tapes, CDs, videos, DVDs and
other formats, each of which required different forms of shelving
and presentation.
WAY-FINDING, SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION
As the newer libraries worked hard to encourage users to spend
more time in them - as opposed to coming and going with A number of architects interviewed mentioned the poor quality
'quick loans' - it became necessary to provide listening stations of signage and use of visual reference points in many existing
and even viewing stations by which people could sample or libraries. At their worst, windows are filled with outdated notices
enjoy in entirety some of the music and films now provided in and events flyers, and basic way-finding practices are ignored,
a variety of formats. 'The need for media-specific access spaces requiring users to negotiate endless corners and dead ends which
seems to necessitate format-defined departments; according offer no support in clear and easy navigation of the library's
to Shannon Mattern writing about libraries in America. Hence various spaces. Many of the newer libraries have commissioned
the living room or lounge in some libraries where people can graphic designers to produce an overall signage system which
sit in armchairs and listen on earphones to a symphony or is bold, clear and easy to understand, and which complements
poetry reading on tape or CD. I first saw this in the 1970s a floor-plan and layout which intuitively leads users from one
in Stockholm's Kulturhuset library and then thought it overly key area to the next. (Lest it be thought that this suggests that
luxurious. Today this level of comfort and amenity is now taken architects are without fault in this regard, one library authority
for granted. More people are coming to the library to 'consume' had to completely replace the sign age insisted upon by the
or use media in situ, rather than borrowing materials for home architect - which in the event was largely illegible to users,
use. This is why the new Aarhus library is to be called Urban comprising as it did of small silver lettering on metal panels that
Mediaspace Aarhus, or why the new Library of Birmingham will in most lighting conditions proved impossible to read).
have the atmosphere, it is hoped, of a club for members, rather
than a 'one-stop shop' to which people come and go as quickly This problem occurs everywhere, for as Shannon Mattern (2007:
as possi ble. 80-81) has written of the new American libraries, 'Most libraries I
visited have had to redesign their sign age once or more within a
Many libraries converted their original music libraries or year of the new building's opening, simply because it is difficult
departments into audio-visual libraries, though some - uneasy to predict the public's navigational patterns or to know what
at the growing separation of formats and cultural assumptions directional cues visitors will need before the building is put to
- attempted to integrate some formats, by, for example, use: Nevertheless some basic principles of clear sight-lines across
interweaving talking books (on cassette or CD) with traditional the main space of the library uninterrupted by high shelving,
books in the same alphabetical grouping. In Seattle for a brief allied with bold lettering indicating different sections, can allow
period they tried mixing books and other formats alongside users to see at a glance where to go and what they may find
each other, but the public response was distinctly negative. This there. In this the new Dagenham Library is a model of clear
continuing headache about providing for a proliferating range of way-finding and simple, efficient graphic design, as are the neatly
new media formats may now be coming to an end. signed white pillars in the Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona.

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

• Positive adjacency - spaces are directly related

• Neutral adjacency - spaces share no common relationship

• Negative adjacency - spaces should be separated (Khan,

2009: 120).

OPENING HOURS

At first it may seem that opening hours may have little design
implications, but not so. Time and space are always in some
kind of dynamic relationship. Several of the newer libraries
such as Norwich, though open on Sundays, nevertheless
restrict access to the ground floor lending library, keeping
other areas or zones closed. At the library in March,
Cambridgeshire, where the library shared facilities with the
local registry office, there were times when access to the
registry office was needed when the library itself was closed,
and this access had to be designed separately. In Peckham
where the lift system takes you to the fourth floor library,
access to the intermediate floors is denied by the lift system's
over-ride. The new library in Time, Norway, opens its ground
floor facilities at 7am for self-service loans and returns, access
to study areas and for breakfast in the library cafe, retaining a
minimal library staff presence during these hours.
Figure 7.5 Good use of columns for clear sign-posting at Jaume Fuster
Library In Barcelona All public buildings which are shared with other services or
commercial partners have to be designed for separate access
Some traditional way-finding icons are disappearing too. The once at different times of the day or week. Where facilities such
dominant library counter at the entrance, to which users had to as toilets, lifts, kitchen facilities or disabled access of other
return for help or advice wherever they were in the library, is being kinds are involved, these are major design considerations.
replaced by smaller satellite enquiry points distributed equally Where academic libraries are concerned, some of these issues
throughout the building. This also allows greater supervision of are resolved by having access restricted electronically through
the library's many spaces, and intranet services and mobile phones membership cards, so that, for example, Cranfield University
allow easy communication between service points as and when Library is open until midnight most evenings, without library
needed. The design of signage, especially in a building over-supplied staff in attendance, though there are paid student monitors.
with typefaces and lettering serving many different purposes, is a The Information Commons at Sheffield University is open 24/7,
professional job today. The age of hand-written notices allied to but similarly with access only open to registered members
a labyrinth of high bookshelves, poorly labelled - and in which via electronic gates. Thus the public library poses issues
one could get lost - is no longer acceptable to many library users, of access and regulation, not usually shared by academic
especially the young who have grown up with highly professional libraries, though in some Danish villages, according to the
forms of design and product display. country's Director-General of Library Services, public access
is now available, even when the library is unstaffed, by use
Way-finding should also be as much instinctual as sign-posted: of people's individual medical cards which are electronically
one space should appear to lead naturally to the next, related tagged. He wrote in 2011 that, 'The public library that I
space. This raises the issue of adjacencies in libraries: what frequently use in a small village is open from 6.a.m. to
spaces, facilities and activities fit best next to each other, midnight every day, and last time I used it was a Saturday
and which should be kept as separate as possible too. Khan evening, where there were five other users during the 20
summarises these as: minutes I was there.'

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 Programmes and people: the changing library programme

LIFE WITHOUT COFFEE? homeless population using the previous library's toilets as their
own personal space. As a result the 'men's restrooms' in the
There is no denying the fact that today's public take a very dim new library have 'been painted a hideous green' to discourage
view of any public amenity that does not provide a relatively long-term use by patrons or the homeless: hardly a viable
attractive coffee bar or tea-room. In the 2010 MLA report solution in the long term, surely?
(2010b), the top five changes that the public said would
encourage them to use libraries more put 'Coffee shop on site' as
the first priority both for current users as well as for lapsed users
too. In an important sense a coffee shop converts any facility THE MODERN LIBRARY IS ALSO A
also into a meeting place, and a destination in its own right. PERFORMANCE SPACE

Many existing libraries simply lack the space to provide this The last two decades have seen an enormous rise in public
facility, though a number do offer self-service coffee machines readings by authors, along with book promotion tours, children's
and drinks dispensers. The danger when designing new facilities story-telling sessions, and a proliferation of local writing and
is that the tail ends up wagging the dog, as suggested by the poetry groups, all wanting to use the library network as a
notorious advertisement for the V&A Museum in the 1990s: 'A collection of local and popular venues. Most libraries now feel it
very nice coffee bar with an interesting museum attached: Even important to offer live events and meeting space for book-related
so, the penthouse cafe at Whitechapel's Idea Store is not only a activities, and this means either designing auditoria, or ensuring
popular meeting place serving good food, but is also integrated that in a prominent part of the library shelving can be easily
firmly into the library milieu, as it shares a whole floor with the moved to create a space for chairs, with a PA system easily put in
art gallery, art library, lounge area and newsroom (a large screen place. The refurbished Winchester Discovery Centre not only now
television tuned to a channel running news stories with the has a dedicated 150-seat performance hall, but the new single-
sound switched off, displaying surtitles), which people can watch storey, double-height extension wing to the east - containing
while sitting in armchairs and drinking a coffee. Likewise the the cafe, box office, gift shop and fiction section - can also
top floor cafe area at Swiss Cottage Library is self-contained and be quickly adapted to create a performance space with its own
sealed off from the more public library areas, and works well as entrance, bar and catering. The Whitechapel Idea Store has a
an intimate and attractive meeting place. fourth floor penthouse cafe/gallery/newsroom area. This is where
large format art books are to be found, many on display, where
there is a programmed exhibition space, and where 150 people
can be accommodated for events and readings. All this makes
TOILETS a very successful cultural space. Each year there is a ten-day
reading festival at the library.
Maintaining public toilets in a public building such as a library is
often a headache - particularly so if the library becomes known As has been mentioned, the number of library-based reading
for having the only free public toilets in the immediate area, groups trebled to 10,000 in England between 2004 and 2008,
which then become used (and occasionally abused) by everybody. and are now a feature of many local library services. Reading
Few of the newer libraries or major refurbishments such as groups require space in the library and possibly an extension in
Bournemouth, Brighton, Cardiff or Winchester report problems. opening hours for those groups which meet in the evening. Many
Indeed, at Canada Water the ground floor cafe and toilets are accommodated by shifting mobile shelves aside in the lending
serve those using the bus and underground station as much as library to create space. Reading groups and talks by authors now
they serve library users, all under the careful watch of security seem to be an integral part of what libraries do - which is not
personnel. At Shepherd's Bush library, the adult toilets have been just to lend books but organise social gatherings in which they
inappropriately located as leading off the children's library, and can be discussed.
are only accessible by knowing a security code - which means
that library staff have to accompany the user to toilets to provide
access, an unsatisfactory arrangement. In Norwich the toilets are
provided as part of the larger public atrium which is shared by MEETING ROOMS
other businesses and managed independently.
Most new libraries provide a range of meeting rooms, often as
When designing the Seattle Public Library, it was already known potential sources of income generation. Such rooms can be let
that there had been a problem with a number of the city's out in the day for seminars, conferences, interviews, and, when

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

free, can provide additional study space. At the Idea Store in THE OUTDOOR LIBRARY
Whitechapel many meeting rooms are booked well ahead, and by
each door is a panel saying who has booked the room and from The winner of the 2010 European Prize for Urban Public Space
what time and until when. If the room is not booked then it is was the highly unusual Open Air Library in Magdeburg, Germany,
freely open to public use for quiet study. Such provision also designed by Karo with Architektur + Netzwork. This town in former
enables the library to act as a small conference centre, or as a East Germany has been suffering from under-development and high
venue for seminars and meetings, adding to the mix of users. levels of social deprivation. From the outset creating this library
was a community-led process, with an empty shop adjoining the
The Idea Store also provides a home for the public face of the site used as a base for workshops with local people discussing
major Crossrail project - a large new rail development connecting and developing the core idea. Some 20,000 books were collected
east and west London. This comprises a small exhibition, leaflets, along with a thousand beer crates, the latter used to create a 1:1
but also showcases job opportunities. Something similar can be model of the final building. Though the books are stored inside,
found in the Workzone at Shepherd's Bush Library, where the job much of the library space consists of green space surrounded by
opportunities in the adjacent retail and development area are benches, together with a stage on which local schools can put
promoted to library users. on performances, bands put on concerts, and poetry readings can
be given. The library is supported by a cafe and is managed by
residents as a community facility and meeting place.

BACK OF HOUSE FUNCTIONS This project is exceptionally unusual, though the idea of a
library possessing its own gardens and courtyards is not. Many
A lot of work is done behind the scenes to keep a library Victorian libraries were designed with a formal garden in front of
functioning effectively. Books are being delivered from other them, as in Bromley and Middlesbrough for example. Of course
branches or from library suppliers on a constant basis, which it is not possible to allow books to be taken outside without
requires good access for van deliveries at the rear or to the being formally issued, but the idea that a library might have an
side, and adequate space in which to receive, store and process open-air space adjacent to it for outdoor reading is still viable.
these books for public use. As more and more library users The new Canada Water Library will have a designed public space
browse for books and reserve them online - many of which will connecting it to the waterfront, while the library in March,
come from other branches or even from national collections or Cambridgeshire, has a designed landscape created around it
regional consortia - there is a high level of traffic in the physical to bring a sense of detachment and tranquillity to its 'back of
movement and delivery of books. Furthermore, books, CDs, DVDs the High Street' site. In Winchester the new extension to the
have to be frequently checked for damage, and this requires space refurbished Discovery Centre has an attractive cafe terrace on to
and support equipment. the busy street.

Library staff also need their own rest-rooms and places for
tea-breaks and lunch-breaks, with basic kitchen equipment and
comfortable chairs. This is especially important in libraries serving
neighbourhoods poorly served by cafes, shops or places to sit
outside during coffee breaks and lunch-hours.

The American library consultant Jeanette Woodward has drawn

attention to the fact that libraries, as with many other public
buildings, are opened and closed each day by staff who often
access the building themselves by a separate entrance - and
this side or rear entrance is sometimes poorly protected and
vulnerable. Staff entrances should be well-lit, and offer secure
sight-lines and access to the public street system, and able to be
used in complete safety whatever time of day or night.

There also needs to be good vehicular access to the service areas

of the building, as well as parking space for disabled library
Figure 7.6 Open Air Library In Magdeburg, Germany, designed by Karo with
users. Archltektur + Netzwork

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 Programmes and people: the changing library programme

Figure 7.7 Terrace garden and entrance to new extension oiWlnchester Discovery Centre

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CHAPTER 8

A vital space for children

and young people
Children's use of Libraries remains high, and the newer Libraries are becoming
increasingly popular as meeting and study places for young people and students.
It is a matter of some debate as to whether the children's Library should be
seen as a place apart, self-contained and with its own safeguarding and child
protection protocols, or more integrated with the adult Library. It is also a matter
of contention as to whether it should have its own design code - often colourful
and imbued with fairy tale imagery - or whether it should share the same design
palette as the rest of the Library, avoiding charges of infantiLisation.

In a short essay published in the New York Times on 27 March library design is that 'children must love it'. Once they become
1994, and cited by the Mid-Hudson Library System on their familiar with such spaces, they are more likely to remain library
website, American novelist E.L. Doctorow wrote that, 'The three users throughout their lives.
most important documents a free society gives are a birth
certificate, a passport, and a library card: For many children the Librarian Ayub Khan confirms this: 'Spaces for children can no
library card was and is their first official badge of recognition longer be "add-on" but must be integral to the library experience.
- and in a way, citizenship. At around the age of seven I was Family-friendly public libraries are a growing requirement' (Khan,
delighted finally to have my own cards - two for fiction, two for 2009:11). School visits are still a common feature of the library
non-fiction. It is still the case that the public library remains service in many areas, and the ability to cater for up to thirty
a familiar and important place in children's lives. In libraries children at a time, with space to sit and listen to stories, or to
throughout the UK it is refreshing to see so many children and engage in private study or group work, is now essential in library
young people completely at home in their local library, where planning briefs.
they are treated with a respect that is frequently denied them in
the streets and shopping centres outside. Though specific provision for children - both in terms of
dedicated space as well as book stock - was not part of the
Compared with the gradual decline of adult borrowing figures, earliest public libraries, it soon became so. In 1924 a detailed
the statistics for children's borrowing have held steady, and even study of children's library provision was undertaken and
increased in recent years in the UK. Moreover, children's actual published, complete with evocative photographs, delineating the
use of the library as a space or destination has also increased, care and attention newly given to creating uplifting environments
whether they are borrowing books or not. It has already been for children in this new area of the then widening public domain.
noted that children who were taken to libraries as a child have Here is a description of one such library:
significantly higher attendance rates at libraries in later life
than those who did not. It remains in the interests of all those The room is large, being 70 by 25 feet, and will
concerned with the cultural horizons of future generations, accommodate from 200 to 250 young folk. There are folding
therefore, to carry on investing in library services (DCMS, 2010). tables, enabling the quick and easy clearing of the room
Architect Christophe Egret, who designed the new Clapham Library for lectures, and small chairs. The chairs and tables are two
in south London, told me that the first principle of contemporary inches lower than those of adult size. One end wall has been

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 A vital space for children and young people

treated with white-wash paint for lantern purposes, and glass monolith hugging the ground, and would serve well as a
although oak panelling and lincrusta are considered by the security outpost, it appears to the passer-by intimidating and
librarian of Croydon to be ideal decoration for a children's off-limits. It is designed to be principally lit by a large roof-light,
room, Spanish red paint as dado, two green lines above, and but this fails to create any real sense of belonging to the public
beyond that cream paint with a blush of pink has been found domain, though for some children it might just offer the appeal
to be a very effective substitute. of a secret cave. No exterior lettering on the facade announces
(Rees, 1924: 38) that it is a library, nor does anything about the design suggest it
might be. Having only visited it once I am unable to say whether
The early children's libraries or reading halls made an attempt to over time it proved successful in meeting the intentions of its
provide a more domestic atmosphere than that found in the adult municipal client.
libraries. This was largely achieved by providing armchairs as well
as wooden chairs, along with flowers in vases on the shelves or Traditional ways of creating a border zone between adult and
tables, and a selection of framed pictures hanging on the walls. children's areas within a shared space have often been achieved
These often depicted national myths, historical events, famous either by raising the children's area on a platform, bordered
people, romantic landscape scenes or reproductions of paintings by shelves or toy structures, or by creating a sunken area,
such as John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott or John with child-scale seating, bright carpets and other means of
Millais' The Boyhood of Raleigh. There were elements here of distinguishing it as a distinct sphere with its own rules of entry.
creating an image of the ideal home, even a national home, as
imagined by worthy designers and idealistic local politicians. Building a playful barrier of shelving designed as castle walls -
with a drawbridge in the case of one Bournemouth library - has
What with story-telling sessions, reading groups, homework proved another effective way of making a distinct area of the
centres, and access to new technology, the best children's library library dedicated to children's provision obvious to all other users.
services are now busier than ever. What is increasingly obvious to The employment of large soft toys, along with fairy-tale murals,
librarians and visitors is how many of the newer libraries now feel floor coverings - and even floors painted as scenery - all aid this
like young people's places, a remarkable transformation from the process of visual differentiation. In Sidcup Library high quality
time when the public libraries had too often become associated wooden shelving has been used to create a clearly designated
with an older generation. compound without too much exaggerated visual and tactile
emphasis.

Not all library staff, let alone interior designers, are happy
CHILDREN'S LIBRARIES - A PLACE APART? with the perceived 'infantilisation' of the children's library
space: too many over-sized stuffed animals and jungle imagery
Nevertheless the space and place of the children's library within can over-determine the nature of the space and exclude other
the larger design remains problematic. Total separation of the age ranges in what Alistair Black has termed the 'theme park
children's library can mean that children feel isolated from the children's library'. What is colourful and exciting to a three-year
larger community. On the other hand, total integration creates old can have a deterrent effect on an eight-year old. Richard
problems of children having easy access to inappropriate material, Cowley of BDP, who was responsible for the interior of Cardiff
or, of more concern today, failing to protect children from the Library, was insistent on using the 'same kit of parts' for the
attention of adults who may not have their best interests at children's library, though on a slightly smaller scale - resisting
heart. Their excitable presence can also disturb adult library any pressure to produce something that didn't integrate into the
users, particularly those at study. In Aalto's library at Viipuri, overall aesthetic of the building. Though this may not please
the children's library was located in the basement, with its own everybody, the decision is likely to produce a stronger sense of
door, and approached through a separate play area and garden. loyalty amongst older children, integrated as the design is with
This was then seen as a very positive statement. In Coenen's new the building overall.
Central Library in Amsterdam, the children's library is also located
in the basement - not to everybody's approval it is claimed. In the USA, a children's library manager who researched the
design of children's libraries discovered that 'very little had
Very occasionally a municipality will commission a separate been written about the design of children's libraries: She and
children's library, such as the one in Paris, in the 15th colleagues then arranged a study tour of visits to the children's
arrondissement, designed by Franck Hammoutene. Although this sections of other public libraries, mainly to return with a series of
is a striking building architecturally, a black concrete, steel and negatives:

98 99
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Through their visits to other libraries, they learned how not Such decisions of course need to be based on the location and
to design a children's section. They learned to avoid such demography of the area the library is serving, and the degree
cliches as bright primary colours, a school-like atmosphere, to which the children's library is focused and programmed as an
and child-sized versions of adult furnishings. activity area as much as a reading space. Some American libraries
(Mattern, 2007: 30) also incorporate craft areas, with sinks and taps, washable floors
and tables, and space to display artwork and paintings. Though
When CABE was asked to comment on the proposed design of this is rare in the UK, the new C.L.R. James Library in Hackney,
the new Liverpool Library extension and refurbishment - now London, opened in January 2012, incorporates a 'wet room' where
underway at a cost of £50 million - they were also critical on this children can play with water and painting materials. It also has
issue of potential 'infantilisation': a small tiered seating area for story-telling. The most impressive
children's library I have seen was at Barcelona's Jaume Fuster
The children's library is another area of the proposal that Library, where the library occupies its own wing of the building
we thin k could benefit from further thought. Whilst we and is furnished to the same high standard and design palette as
understand the desire to create a welcoming, playful the rest of the library. It is a place in its own right, not simply an
environment... we think that a calmer aesthetic, less reliant adjunct.
on bright colour and organic forms, could be more successful.
We think it would be a mistake to underestimate the ability In Alsop & Stormer's Peckham Library, the children's section
of children, especially those in the older age range, to enjoy occupies a separate double-height room to the north of the suite,
high quality public spaces. with stunning views through parti-coloured glazed walling to the
(CAB E, 2010) London Eye and Westminster to the north. The whole children's
area sits in its own glass box, resolving the issue of separation

Figure 8.1 Chlldrens's Zone clearly dermarcated at The Hub, Klnson, Bournemouth, designed and Installed by Radford HMV Group Ltd

100 101
 A vital space for children and young people

and belonging very effectively. A staircase in the children's library Research into design options has produced somewhat
leads upwards and across a truncated bridge into one of three contradictory and ambiguous results. Studies have shown
pods located in the main lending library, providing a space-ship that spatial density tends to increase aggression among
style space floating above the adults. In Brighton the children's pre-school children. At the same time, open areas tend to
library occupies a large side-gallery to the main ground floor result in running and cross-room talking. Research has also
lending library, with port-holes connecting the two. shown that activity areas with partitions tend to increase
co-operative behaviour. The answer may be low dividers
More and more libraries also now distinguish a teen area, between activity areas with higher dividers and increasing
another staging post between children and adult sections, where privacy for older children. Furnishings and dividers should
the growing literature especially designed for teenage readers always be low enough so that children can see and be seen
(including graphic novels) is to be found. Such areas also by staff.
incorporate study desks and computer terminals (though these (Lushington, 2008: 101)
computers are likely to be filtered, as they are in the Winchester
Discovery Centre, for age-appropriate uses), and here style is Child protection issues are now rightly seen as central to design
again an important factor. In the children's 'Internet Zone' at philosophy as are matters of disability access, which is why
Ward End Library in Birmingham, some very stylish Philippe Starck the location of the adult toilets within the children's library at
chairs add a glamorous note to the interior space and milieu. Shepherd's Bush was such a basic misjudgement.

From the USA comes a very well documented and positive lesson
in involving teenagers in library design and provision. A Teen
Library Council was established by Phoenix Public Library to PROVIDING BUGGY SPACE AND LOCKERS
help create a distinct library area for this age group, and out
of an initial meeting of over 150 teenagers, some 20 or 30 met Very young children will usually be brought to the library in
regularly to plan the new provision. The new library section was push chairs or 'buggies: A library story-telling session can attract
not to be 'themed' the young people insisted, but simply carried up to 30 young children and their parents or carers, which also
a range of modern media, occupying a variety of individual, group means finding space for as many push chairs, secure and out of the
and public spaces, with regular film showings and events to rain. That has to be planned for. At the other end of the spectrum,
attract young people after school, as well as for a large number of the reference section of many libraries - including specialist
organised school visits from an ever wider catchment area, such collections - require users to store away coats and bags in lockers
was the popularity of 'Teen Central: As Mattern reports: in the interests of security and the avoidance of theft, which can
be a problem in children's libraries too. The wider the range of
Phoenix has managed to simultaneously inspire some of its library users and the longer their stay in the library, the more these
teenagers to become architects; to provide a wholesome, secondary forms of provision and support services are needed.
constructive alternative to the mall and the streets; to
empower a marginalised community; to activate a public
sphere around a design project; and to provide its city with a
space that is the quintessence of publicness.
(Mattern, 2007: 32)

These are large claims, but they surely point to a positive

outcome resulting from the involvement of users and potential
users in design. Having segmented and created boundaries of
varying degrees of permeability around the children's library, there
are also design issues associated with how this space itself is
divided. As Nolan Lushington has written:

Spatial density and the degree of openness present

something of a design problem. The need to monitor children
can conflict with the child's need for privacy.
Figure 8.2 Stylish Philippe Starck chairs In Internet Zone, Ward End Library,
Birmingham, designed by John Hunt Associates (Photo: Kevin Duffy)

100 101
PART 4

Selected case
studies
CHAPTER 9

Public library case studies

Jaume Fuster Library

Opened: November 2005 The bui lding is diamond-shaped inside, faceted on the outside
Client: Barcelona City Council with a series of ang ular roof ca nopies and elevations, with
Architect: Josep Llinas Carmona/Joan Vera th e main entra nce set back under a large canopy which
Project description: New public library provides shade to the entrance and vestibule. This dynamism
Library size: 4,800 square metres is contin ued in side with a large internal lobby where people
Cost: Euro12m sit and gossip, a brig ht reading room to one side, a cafe to
th e other side, a ga llery to the rear, a reception desk, stairs
This new library in a busy urban quarter near Park Gue ll up to th e main libra ry floors, and a corridor leading to a very
occupies the corner of a major road intersection, tho ugh its la rge children's libra ry (the Area in/anti/) established in its
wide paved fro ntage on two sides sets it back from the traffic, own wing - a very satisfactory arrangement, perhaps one of
additiona lly protected by planting - enough so that the library t he best spatially independent children's libraries to be found,
services its own outdoor cafe at some dista nce from the library and one which employs the sa me design palette as the rest of
entrance, a cafe which is a popular meeting place in its own t he interior.
right.

Fig ure 9.1 Site plan, Jaume Fuster Library, Barcelona, Courtesy of Josep Ulnas

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 Public library case studies

Figure 9.2 Ground floor p lan, Jaume Fuster L,bra!)" Barcelona, courtesy of Josep Limas. The self-conta in ed ch ildren's library IS to
the "ght. The cafe 's bonom left, and the art ga llery top left.

Figure 9.3 Flfst floor p lan, Jaume Fuste r Library, Barce lona, courtesy of Josep Limas

104 105
Contemporary Library Architecture

The flooring throughout is terazzo tiling, with light-wood The pubL

public
ic library
Library tradition is less
Less well estab lished
Lished in Spain,
shelving and furniture,
furniture, and whiwhite
te wa lls everywhere, givi ng though tUlis
his is now being
bei ng remedied, and this particuLar
particular library
rather a Scandinavian feel
fee l to the interior. There are sight-lines has won internationa
internatio nallLattentio n and rightly so. When I visited
between and across floors in a IILl directions, across lig Lig ht-wells
ht-we lls
LLs it in December 2011, it was very busy with very many older
and bridges, with bold,
boLd, elegant
eLegant letteri
Letteri ng an nounci ng the residents using the readi ng rooms and lounge areas, while
different bibliographica 1IlI sections painted in bLack on the the cafe traded to both the street outside and to library
libra ry users
white support co lumns.
lum
Lum ns. A white concrete spira lLstaircase adds inside.
a dynamic feature to the first floor study area, leadi Leadi ng up
up to
more gallery
ga llery study space.
space.

Figure 9.4 Street corner view of Jaume Fuster Li brary, Barce lona, co mmand ing a major intersection

Fig ure 9.5 Canopied, set-back entrance to

Figure 0 Jaume Foster
Fos ar
er Library,
Library,
libra ry, drawing
draWing VIsitors
VISitors In

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 Public library case studies

Bournemouth Library

Opened: April 2002 rubric of the public library as a 'street-corner university'.

Client: Bournemouth Borough Council via PFI Management It won the Prime Minister's Better Public Buildings Award
Company: Information Resources (Bournemouth) Ltd in 2003 as well as a Civic Trust commendation. Because it
Architect: Building Design Partnership was an early 'pathfinder' project under the Private Finance
Project description: public library and ground floor retail Initiative (PFI), the development benefited from additional
Library size: 3850 square metres library space government funding. This contract runs for 30 years, with Kier
Cost: £9 .5 million Project Investment holding 50 per cent equity in the overall
Stock: 111,432 book and audio visual stock management company, Information Resources (Bournemouth)
Visitor numbers: 1,100 per day Limited. As with Norwich, all buildi ng services are provided
by a dedicated team on site, charged with all repairs and
The new Bournemouth Library was officially opened on 28 cleaning, with strict penalties. This arrangement, library staff
June 2002, designed by BDP (Building Design Partnership). claim, has proved very effective, and taken a major headache
It occupies the site of a former surface car-park, close to the away, given that librarians shou ld have others things to worry
city centre, reinstating the line of two streets which meet about than dirty toilets, chipped paintwork and smeared
at an area known as The Triangle. Thus the building resolves windows. Eight years after it opened the interior looks
some historic townscape elements as well as providing a pristine. The building provides 3,850 square metres of very
new facility, providing a satisfactory 'end stop' to the former high quality library space in the town.
ragged edge of the historic town centre.
The first thing the visitor notices is that the library occupies
It is consequently triangular in shape, with an entrance the first and second floors of a three-storey building. The
at the building's prow, and therefore fits neatly under the ground floor was allocated as commercia l letting space for

Figure 9.6 First oor, Bournemou th Lrbrary. Courtesy of BDP

106 107
Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 9 .7 ElevatIon, Bo memou h LIbrary. Courtesy of BDP

Figure 9 .8 SectIon, Bournemout LIbrary. Courtesy or BDP

108 109
 Public library case studies

retail and a cafe. While the entrance stairs and lifts are comfortably, or concentrate without hearing any untoward
generous and well designed, this does present something pin drop: The building spaces get quieter the further 'up and
of an initial barrier to people's expectations. However, once out' you go from the staircase and lift services. There is a
arriving at the first floor, the space is exceptionally attractive very fine line of study desks along the window area, as well as
and engaging, beautiful even, with clear sight-lines across a other study spaces scattered about the two floors, a number
range of spaces and places, with an immediate air of being of which have personal desk lamps which can be operated
'above' and separate from the surrounding streets in a quite manually by the reader. This sense of control over lighting can
special kind of way. This sense of a floating space station is be very rewarding, and can help personalise space in a public
continued on the third floor where the reference library, local envi ron ment.
history library, music library and events island are equally calm
and well-ordered, with abundant views down into the main The library now gets over 1, 100 visits a day, and the study
lending library on the floor below. desks are always occupied, possibly as a result of a large
student population living in this part of Bournemouth. A
In her review for Architectural Journal, writer and critic large and very beautiful painting, Adoration of the Sea, by
Katherine Shonfield rightly enthused not only about the Nicholas Charles Williams, looks down upon library staff and
building's verve and panache but praised BOP's 'expertise' users, providing additional colour and flair to what is already
which she found 'effortlessly apparent in the acoustics'. 1t a stunning interior. A number of external agencies have had a
is a place; she wrote, 'where people can have a conversation presence in the library, including Connexions (information and

Figure 9.9 Interior View of mam first ~oor atrium at Bournemouth Library

108 109
Contemporary Library Architecture

guidance for 13- 19 year olds), Connect2Learning, Care Direct designed to be a cafe servi ng library users and passers-by
(monthly drop-in centre for over-60s), Businesslin k Wessex proved difficu lt to manage, and several compa nies attempted
and European In fo rmation Centre, Dorset Record Office. Some and failed to make it work commercially, detracting from the
of these have been superseded or joined by new partners liveliness of the building at entra nce level. However, the cafe
including Next Steps (careers advice) and Skills & Learning space is now under a new franchise and ope n until llpm,
(adult learning co urses). attracting a wide usage, especially from students and young
people.
As with a number of other new library buildings, the interior
is much more dynamic and exciting than the exterior, which The very so lid and handsome sta ircase with bright painted
struggles to proclaim or express the building's inner vita lity stee l support columns at 70 degree angles, immediately
and seriousness (though it is a different matter at ni ght when attracts the eye and draws th e visitor up to the first floor and
the building gLows) . There is a Large flank wall of red brick th e engagi ng world to be found there. A pion eeri ng new town
facing the Triangle that seems dead above the first floor retail Library rightly regarded as a great success.
area which now houses a Tesco Express. The ground floor site

Figure 9.1 0 Bnghtly paon"ed angular support columns add dynamIsm to on"erlor of Bournemouth LIbrary

110 111
 Public library case studies

Jubilee Library, Brighton

Opened: March 2005 in the making - a pubLic discussion about a new Library in
Client: Brighton & Hove City CounciL Brighton and where to site it had been going on for many
Archi t ect: Bennetts Associates & Lomax Cassidy Edwards (now years - but in the end a team was put together which
LCE Architects) consisted of LocaL firm Lomax Cassidy Edwards (now LCE
Project description: pubLic Library Architects), Bennetts Associates, with the LocaL authority's
Lib rary size: 3900 square metres own 'Major Projects Team' acting as the client body. The PFI
Cost : £14.5 million contract allows for the buiLding to be maintained for the next
Stock: 175,000 books, 13,000 AV items pLus 45,000 items in 25 years, and capitaL costs amounted to £14 miLLion.
Rare Books & SpeciaL Collections
Vi si tor numbers: Up to 1 million per year CentraL to the design brief was the Council's demand that the
buiLding achieved the highest BREEAM category of 'Excellent'
Th e new Jubilee Library in Brighton has won plaudits aLL round - which it did. Furthermore, this requirement to fuLfil the
for a building that became the focal point and driving force stringent environmental demands of BREEAM supported
of a master- plan to develop a former area of run -down streets the architects against cost-cutting pressures, allowing the
and demolition sites. Opened on World Book Day, 3 March designing of the splendid glass facade, providing wind towers,
2005 , it was funded as a PFI project with cross -subsidies from and in other ways creating a building that was more than a
the development of shops, cafes and restaurants immediately square box which PFI pressures might have resulted in. This
around it. Both the project and the design were a long time was an interesting example of environmental considerations

Figure 9. 11 Ground floor p lan, Jubrl ee Library, Broghton (<&:> Bennetts AsSOCiates)

110 111
Contemporary Library Architecture

raising the level of design creativity and excellence, and worth In total the lib rary offe rs 3,900 square metres of space. There
highlighting. are public toilets on all floo rs, as well as a conference centre,
a training room and staff facilities. What doesn't feel so fully
The buildin g dominates the new sq uare in fro nt of it, and this resolved, however, is the mai n ground floor lendi ng library
square is now a popular meeti ng place, especia lly fo r yo un g which appears somewhat cavern ous, largely because of the
people. The library facade is magnifice nt from the outside, the almost ra ndom configuratio n of mass productio n shelving
glazed walls reflecting the seaside sky and the activities in the (a nd poor signage) which dimi nishes the overall effect, and
square. The main entrance consists of two sets of slidi ng glass over which the architects had no control. The need fo r a
doors, creating an environmentally protecti ng lobby, leading professional interio r design approach is bad ly wa nting here. In
into and th rough a substantia l gift shop. The ratio nale for this recompe nse, all th e she lving is on wheels, and ca n be moved
unusual decision is that the flank wall of t he library on th e easily, th us clea ring a very large ground floor space fo r events,
street continues the 'shop window' appea l of the rest of the such as the an nua l 'White Nig ht' festival, whe n over 4,000
street, and library users now take this in their stride, th ough people vi sit t he library on a Satu rday evening .
some mig ht argue th at it also mutes th e effect of arriva l into
the building : in effect it is an ante-cha mber to t he library Visua l contact between th e grou nd floor and the floor above
proper. Furthermore, while the gift shop delays the sense of is weaker tha n one wou ld fi nd in a more conventional atri um
arrival, it a lso acts - inadequately one has to say - as an design (th ough not the other way roun d), and the hig h wa lls
exhibition space, as well as preventing heat loss from the of t he main concou rse can appear bla nd - until one learns
library proper. t hat th ese large areas of light-co loured woode n panelling
are respo nsible for the pitch -perfect acoustics of th is very
Once inside the spaces are as dramatic as th e facade suggests large space, which is no small achievement . Th e acoustics
- the fi rst floor non-fiction library especially so. Conn ected are exceptio nally good wherever you are, as is ai r quality
by glass-sided bridges to the outer frame, and resting on a and ventilation, all of which make t he building a thorough ly
series of substa ntia l whi te columns which rise from grou nd comfortab le setti ng fo r reading and studying eve n for long
floor to ceiling, it seems to float in the air of its own accord, periods.
'as if it were a magic carpet of know ledge: said the Head
Li brarian, Sa lly McMahon, at the time of its opening - and on The building is highly energy-efficient 'within t he limits of
this occasion without exaggeration. Thi s particu lar effect is PFI: according to architect Nick Lomax. 'It's been designed
stun nin g. The side ga lleries on both floors, including a large to ta ke advantage of natural energy provided by its south-
children's li brary at the rea r of the ground flo or and a rare coast setti ng. The sun's energy is gathered through the glass
books library on the floo r above, also work we ll, providing south wall in winter, th ough in summer fan-assisted cooling
both separation and intimacy on the edge of the more public is required to keep the temperature down. Heat is stored in
library floors (there's an eleme nt of the trading floor at ground wa lls and a specially co nstructed hollow floo r, the n re leased
floor leve l). A sma ll fra nchised cafe operates at the front slowly into the buildi ng: The exposed co ncrete columns and
of the ground floor, givin g views into th e square and th e fi rst floor t able absorb heat by day and release it at night,
street-life beyond. An electronic set of screens provides up to mainta ining an even ambient temperature. The plant needed
the minute bus ti metables in t he area. to hea t and cool th e library is a fraction of th at required in a

Figure 9.12 Sectron perspective, Jubilee Lib rary, Bngh-o (<1:1 John Bradb ury)

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 Public library case studies

Figure 9.13 View of ground oor of Brighton Lib rary

Figure 9.14 Corner view of 'floating' fICst floor reference li brary, connected by wa lkways and brodges

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Contemporary Library Architecture

conventional air-conditioned building. Three, five -metre ta ll The library is open seven days a week and hosts around
wind towers draw off excessive heat in the summer. In the 500 events every year. With over 1 million visits each year
winter heat recovery units capture heat from lighti ng, PCs and - more than three times t he visitor figures fo r t he former
people, and recycle it back through the system . Lavatories are central library - it is one of the busiest public libraries in the
flushed with rainwater collected in a tan k below ground. What country. Th ere is no doubt that the Jubilee Library has done
the architects have no contro l over of co urse are the energy wonders for what was fo rmerly a back-street location, and
requirements of the library's users. Larger than expected has turned the area inside out. The public square created in
numbers of visitors, extended opening hours, and increasing front of it is already a major meeting place in the city, and
numbers of users plugging in thei r own laptops, mobile pho nes library membership has soared. The project has won the Prime
and ICT eq uipment (as well as on at least one occasion an Minister's Better Public Buildings Award 2005, Civic Trust
electric kettle) have all contrib uted to higher than anticipated Award 2007, and was one of six finalists for the 2005 RIBA
electrici ty use. Stirling Prize.

Canada Water Library, Southwark

Opened: 2011 over-protective procurement policies can sometimes undermine

Client: London Borough of Southwark their own best intentions.
Architect: CZWG Architects
Project description: public library It was always clear that this particular site required a building
Library size: 2,678 square metres with a Wow' fa ctor, as it is at the heart of a key docklands
Cost: £14.1 regeneration area, which is otherwise rather piecemeal in
Stock: 55,000 items; 40,000 shelf spaces its assembly of housing , warehouses, retail sheds and other
Visitor numbers: 1400 per day services. The new library is immediate ly adjacent to the
hi-tech Canada Water bus station designed by Eva Jiricna,
The new library at Canada Water designed by Piers Gough's which adjoins Buro Happold's dramatic railway station, the
practice, CZWG, sits literally on top of a combined overgro und latter of which serves both the Jubilee underground line and
and underground railway station, and has its own station the London Overground. The dynamic inverted mass of the
entrance and exit, making it ideal as a place to pop into library is clad in anodised aluminium sheets which gleam
before or after school or work - which many people do. The in the su n and reflect the water in the nearby dock, making
arresting shape gives the appearance of an inverted pyramid a strong 'point of arrival' statement to everybody using the
or ziggurat, or even an ark out of water, which is high ly transport terminus.
suitable for a dock-side location . The design and programme of
the library was based on widespread public consultation which Because of the inverted volum e, the ground floor is the
elicited over 5,000 responses. Local young people were taken smallest floor-plan in the building, and works as a busy cafe,
to visit Peckham Library and Whitechapel's Idea Store to give reception area and enquiry point. Th e cafe is franchised out to
them an idea of different models of library provision, other a private compa ny experienced in working at this scale, and
than what they already knew. it works we ll, serving a rather fine, sunlit, south-west facing
corner. From the centre of the ground floor the drama begins,
Because the commissioning client, British Land, was a private as the interior of the building is dominated by a large circular
company it was not subject to European rules for choosing staircase which rises within a dramatic, almost slightly-
architects, and the developer chose CZWG for their imaginative larger-than human-scale, wooden-slatted drum, turning a full
approach to the project as planning permission architects, 360 degrees. Architect Piers Goug h said that he 'was keen
even though the practice had not designed a library before. that peop le really would wa lk up from the noisy downstairs to
This lack of 'experience' would have ruled them out of many the quieter, more relaxed place above: In the event, this has
competitions, providing a cautionary lesson as to how proved to be the case, as from severa l visits it is clear that

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 Public library case studies

most people choose to use this ceremonial staircase, even used. Flooring uses multi-coloured carpet tiles throughout,
though there is ample lift provision . except for the ground floor which is of hardwood .

Arriving at the first floor the building opens out into a The library is already proving enormously popular with high
panoramic space containing the main fiction library, children's visitor and borrowing figures. Serving what was once an
library, lounge areas, with views out on all sides. This is established working-class area, now transformed by the
both an exciting space and a successfully functioning space, rise of nearby Canary Wharf employing tens of thousands
enlivened and given solidity by high-quality staggered of office staff, many from overseas, the library's clientele is
book-shelving. Close to many of the windows are sofas and incredibly mixed and the library really does function as an
comfortable chairs for reading by natural light, with added integrating feature in the social landscape. It is also heavily
lighting effects provided by the glistening water immediately used by school-children from a neighbouring 2,000 student
outside. comprehensive. Full of praise for the design, Southwark's head
of library services, Adrian Whittle, says that success is also
On the top floor is a perimeter gallery containing the due to having a brand new, wide-ranging book-stock, which
non-fiction stock, with long study desks overlooking the accounts for a record number of book-issues for a library of
main atrium. Though these desks are enormously popular the this size. 'Good design with good book-stock is the secret of a
book-stock is somewhat left stranded as all the shelving is successful library; he says.
against the wall almost as backdrop, and may be much less

Figure 9.15 Ground oar p la n, Ca nad a Water Lib ra ry. Pe rforma nce aud ito ri um to t he le ft, co urtesy of ClYI/G Architects

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 9.16 First floor library floor plan, Ca nada Wate r Library, courtesy of CZWG Arch,"eCIS

Figure 9.17 Second oor library plan, Canada Wa"er Library, courtesy o' CZWG A rc , ects

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 Public library case studies

Figure 9.18 View from upper tler of Canada Water Library to first oor lend ing li brary

Figure 9.19 The new Canada Water Library end-stops a public p,a".a linking bus. underground and overground rad
servlces

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Dagenham Library (London Borough of Barking & Dagenham)

Opened: October 2010 The new development

deve lopment occupies and embo ldens a busy street
Client group: London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, corner site which it uses to full advantage, possessing a large
Bouygues UK, Southern Housing Association massing of volume
vo lume as a result of being a combined library and
Architect.: ArchitecturePLB
Arch itectu reP LB residentia l block. The library facade is striking in its angled
Project description:
descri ption: public library and 82 flats in
in combined monumental steel support columns, allowing the entrance
development to be recessed, and the use of large lettering announces
Library size: 1,818 square metres in total, including Counci l the presence of tthehe 'Dagen ham Library' on the street with
One Stop Shop imagination and panache. From a distance the library seems
Cost: £14.3M to be comprised of a steel and glass box on stilts, projecting
Stock: 28,573 items (including 23,518 books) out from the surrounding
surro unding apartment building. It possesses
Visitor numbers: 38,000 per month a strong architectural dynamism - unusual in the rest of
the surrounding townscape, but it works very well, and is
This new library was opened on 13 October 2010 as part of immediately visible
visib le from the railway station several hundred
the regeneration of a run -down shopping parade adjacent to metres away.
Dagenham H Heathway
eathway underground station, and serving the
large Becontree housing estate. This area of suburban east The library is entered through automatic sliding glass doors
London traditionally provided homes for workers in the nearby set under the overhang but clearly demarcated. Most users
Ford car factory and other major industrial sites, and has been arrive on foot, and the project architects were keen not to put
poorly served in the past by public and commercial
commercia I amenities. the building on a plinth or in any way create a monumental
The new library is unexpectedly generous in sca le and has entrance, and it feels very easy to cross the threshold and
already been a great success, proof if any were needed that a immediately become an active participant in what the library
new library can make a big difference to the self-confidence of has to offer. 'People can get to the information themselves;
a neighbourhood. one of the project architects told me. 'That is the ethos of

Figure 9.20 Bo Id corner canopied entrance of new Dagenham Ibrary by Arch,tecturePLB, With apartments above and either Side

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 Public library case studies

this new kind of library building : Inside the space is extremeLy Lifts at the rear, aLong with a grand staircase at one corner
generous, with a council information service, reading area Lead to the first floor gallery areas - the centre of the Library
with newspapers and magazines, computer suite, teen and is a doubLe height atrium - where the main book stock is
children 's Library sections and service point on the ground weLL dispLayed, and where there are study areas, meeting
floor. The interior design - by EvoLution Architects - combines rooms, toilets, and the principaL library service reception desk.
a mix of white, grey and mauve finishes, and the signage is Roof-Lights and Large areas of gLazed facade at the front and
exceLLent. side produce very good naturaL Lighting .

On entering the Library it is possibLe to see at a gLance There are 48 computers for pubLic use and free Wi - Fi hotspots.
the different sections dispLayed by their Large, clear signs This is aLmost certainly one of the best public library
suspended from the ceiling. The Large foyer area is supervised developments in recent years specifically designed as part of
by a concierge/security manager who sits at a consoLe facing a long-term urban regeneration strategy. It exudes confidence
the main doors, combining greeting and monitoring functions and a belief in a better future.
in a Low-key and unobtrusive fashion - most effective. GLass

Figure 9.21 Ma in staircase and atrium at Dagenham Library

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Ewell, Surrey: library and cultural centre

Opened: 1970 come and go by car, which is perhaps typical of this kind of
Client: the Borough of Epsom and Ewell well-estab lished sub urban part of south London. The building
Architect: A. G. Sheppard Fid Ler and Associ ates is surrounded by mature trees which soften the sharp contours
Project description: pubLic Library and sociaL centre of the main structure and provide that much hoped for
Library size: 4,000 square metres approximateLy harmony between dramatic white modernist buildings set in
Cost: £369,000 pastora l settings.

An earLy attempt to re-imagine the pub lic library One prob lem with buildings with such large areas of glass wall
architecturally, Ewell was opened in April 1970. This dramatic sections, is that it seems inappropriate to put shelves or other
circular library and cultura l centre was designed by architects items of stock furniture agai nst them, obscuring the view. Yet
A.G . Sheppard Fidler and Associates, and was likened at the t his has to be done. Within the space the lighting is pleasa nt
time to a space ship whic h had landed in an ornamental and the high roof and great circular roof lig ht add a sense of
garden. Th e main public areas are situated in a single domed drama to the space.
structure 140 ft in diameter and 37 ft to the top of the central
roof light. A mezzanine floor accommodates the museum,
exhibition areas, works hop and archives. A beautifully detailed
helical staircase takes visitors from the library upstairs to the
museum. On the lower ground floor can be found the main
assembly hall with seating for 300 people along with a stage.
This is a double height space whose roof provides the floor of
the mezzanine level.

This is a bold re-working of the traditiona l prototype of

the library as a domed reading room. The principal dome is
formed from 20 precast concrete half portals joining at a 30ft
diameter compression ring which supports the ce ntral circular
roof light. A clerestory window runs the complete diameter of
the building.

The bui ldin g has aLways been regarded as a great success

and is very popu lar, providing a sense of occasion, space and
a good mixture of cu ltura l amenities. It replaces a former
mansion house, Bourne Ha lL, and inhabits the historic gardens
(including ornamental lake), which have now been somewhat
islanded by a gyratory road system. Most people do seem to

Figure 9.22 Floor plan and cross section of Bourne Ha ll LIbrary, Ewe ll, opened 970 (Images courtesy 0' Surrey Llbraroes and held ,n the Epsom and Ewell
Local FamI ly History Centre)

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 Public library case studies

Figure 9.23 Art gall ery Irlte nor, connected to circular edge of public library at Bourne Hall Library, Ewe ll, Surrey

Figure 9.24 ' It looked as though a space ship had landed.' Bourne Hall Library designed by A.G. Sheppard Fidler and
Associates

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Glasgow: The Bridge Arts Centre and Library

Opened: 2006 thoroughfare, not only providing a lively and colourful covered
Client: Glasgow City Council space con necting two street networks, but also provides
Architect: Gareth Hoskins Architects a busy atmosphere and natural surveillance to the boldly
Project description: arts centre and public library designed open-plan library, which deserves as much attention
Library size: overall including college library and shared for its remarkab le - and innovative - tiered staging as the
meeting space - 1620m 2 earlier Peckham Library did. Both are bold experiments in the
Cost: £10 million radical re-framing of the traditional library setting.
Stock: 25,602 books plus 2098 AV items
Visitor numbers: 13,000 per week The pronounced incline of the wedge-shaped library provides
a dynamic to the building which is immediate and arresting
This new award-winning arts centre, incorporating a 250-seat - but also comp lies with DDA requirements regarding the
performing arts theatre, dance studio, gallery, cafe and large approved gradient of pathways for wheelchair use. The six
public library, was squeezed into a sloping site between an library galleries, in asce nding tiers, not only provide easy
existing swimming pool building and the new John Wheatley access to the bookstacks, but also create a series of separate
College. The new insertion acts almost literally as a 'bridge' public rooms and study areas which are well used . At the
between the two adjacent buildings, as well as a pedestrian upper leve l of the library space there is a cafe and lounge
route from one side of the Easterhouse Estate to another. As area; at the lower level are to be found the continuously
the photographs show, the library also functions as a public staffed library desk and reception area, which directly

Figure 9.25 he Bndge Library at Eas"erhouse Arts Centre: oor pia a d context. courtesy of Garet
Hoskins Architects

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 Public library case studies

overlooks the children's library area and t he second main At ground floor level the new 'Bridge' locks jigsaw-fashion
entra nce. Suspended above the children's library is a pod for into the adjacent buildings to provide an even greater sense
seminars, meetings and story-telling sessions; adjacent to the of co nn ection. To t he east the library shares a compu ter suite
children's library is an in formal loun ge area used as a drop-in and specialist arts library with the John Wheatley College;
centre by Macmillan Cancer Care. Th e high ceiling appears to to the west the theatre takes up space in what was formerly
float free of a series of slender white columns which pierce the swimming pool boiler room to provide access corridors
'breathi ng-holes' or sky-lights into the canopy roof, providing to back stage areas. The timber-boarded west flank wa ll
additional light to that from the glazed panel wa lls. There acts as an exhibition gallery, curated by the in-house arts
are two main connecti ng walkways through the library, one team, Pl.atfo rm. Thus the library sits at the heart of a highly
on each edge of the library space proper, both in polished progra mmed and success fu I arts centre, providi ng a different
concrete, a material which evokes both indoor and outdoor kind of space, but one which consolidates the cultural
suitability simultaneously. presence of th e arts centre in the community.

Figure 9.26 The Bndge Library at Easterhouse Arts Centre: library section

Figure 9.27 The Bndge Library, Easterhouse, by Gareth Hoskins Architects. Internal walkway adjacent to main li brary space

122 123
Contemporary Library Architecture

The unusual sloping ha ll is a triumphant success, tho ugh way home from school, when they browse the computers and
it must ha ve seemed a hig h-risk strategy on paper. It is sit arou nd ta bles to talk and loo k at boo ks. Junior fiction and
intended to evoke the large inclined, top-lit, concourse of non-fictio n iss ues rose by 91 per ce nt and 30 per cent in the
Glasgow Centra l Station, though the wedge shape has echoes first six mo nt hs of operation.
of Lubetkin's Finsbury Hea lth Centre - another dynamic
insert - while the terraces echo footba ll terraces, or possib ly
even a flig ht of ca nal locks. The library and its many disti nct Awards
spaces and thoroug hfares has been a great loca l success, both
in terms of the high numbers of users, as well as amo ngst RIBA Regional Award winner
the staff who work there. There has been little vandalism RIBA Natio nal Award winner
or anti-socia l behaviour in this very public buildi ng, which Scottish Design Awards - Best Public Building winner
serves a large housing area seven miles from Glasgow's city Scottish Design Awards - Gra nd Prix win ner (best overall project)
centre and which in recent decades has suffered hig h levels British Co nstruction Industry Awards - UK Regeneration Award
of unemployment and social deprivation. It has a hig her t han winner
average amount of use by young people, especially on their Glasgow Institute of Architects Award winner

Figure 9.28 Tne Bridge Library at Easter ouse Arts Centre at nlg t. P otograph by Andrew es

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 Public library case studies

Hook and Chessington Library

Opened: 2007 A doubling of new stock, compared with the previous library
Client: Royal London Borough of Kingston Upon Thames close by which was closed after being badly damaged by
Architect: Dunlop Haywards & Quintessential Design fire, has resulted in a doubling of library visitors. There is a
Project description: public library, skills training centre, very good space for children, overlooked by the library desk,
meeting rooms & recording studio although it also conta ins a fire escape door leading directly on
Library size: 370 square metres. to a main road, which is a very poor piece of design.
Cost: £2.15 million
Stock: 31,000 items including books and AV materials The building won a Public Library Buildings Award in 2007 ,
under the rubric, 'The Heart of the Community'.
A model of a new community library, very much established
as a community centre fronted by a good cafe/reception
area, leading to a library, skills training
centre and recording studio. Pressed tight
to a main road, most people enter the
library across a large car park, on e of th e
weakest points of the design . (In these
suburban libraries many users do come
and go by car). It was jointly funded by
the local authority and the Learning and
Skills Training Council, and designed by
London practice Dunlop Haywards, already
contracted to supply architectural services
to the local authority.

The library operates in a suburban area

with few local amenities and is much
valued; in such conditions the cafe, toilets
and warm, welcoming space, are a real
incentive to people to visit, and it is
very much regarded as a 'family library',
rather than a city-centre student or
professional Wi-Fi networking hub. Most
of the computers are to be found in the
training suite on the first 11.00r. Apparently
many visitors comment favourably on the
bright comfortable furniture and light-wood
fittings, which brings a higher quality of
interior design to the neighbourhood than
had been expected. The reception area is
used for craft fairs and quiz nights.

Figure 9 .29 Street frontag e of Hook a nd Che ss lngton Library. Roya l London Borough of Krngston
upon Thames, by Dunlop Haywards & QUintessential DeS ign

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 9.30 Hook Library and Community Centre : library, cafe, meetl 9 rooms, computer Hal Ing and recording st dio

Figure 9.3 1 Main lIbrary desk at ook Library ove rl oo~lng computer SUite

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 Public library case studies

Huntingdon Library and Archives

Opened: 2009 The building occupies 1,750 square metres, incorporates the
Client: Cambridgeshire County Council Huntingdonshire Archives, a specialist Cromwell Collection
Architect: Crampin Pring McCartney Gant linked to the nearby Cromwell Museum, two meeting rooms,
Project description: public library IT Learning Centre, cafe and toilets. Lighting and temperature
Library size: 1,750 square metres is automatically adjusted for different parts of the building,
Cost: £4.6 million though in the case of the Huntingdonshire Archives, the study
Visitor numbers: 1,000 per day area and store are especially designed to maintain the correct
ambient conditions as well as to guard against fire or water
Designed by Crampin Pring McCartney Gant and opened ingress - which is additionally expensive compared to standard
in 2009, this new library and archive is part of a larger library building requirements. Total cost was £4.6 million ,
development in the centra l neighbourhood of this market town which included £400k fit-out costs.
with a population of 32,000. It is built on the site of the old
library, which was demolish ed. The design was a collaboration The exterior consists largely of Cambridge brickwork, with a
between senior library management and the architects, with distinctive curve at one corner, and a cedar-clad first floor
the particular involvement of Library Design Consultant overhang or jetty to the north which partly accommodates
Leonore Charlton, who has specia lised in library interiors for the archive. The ground floor lending library is one large,
many years, working in Cambridgeshire and other counties. high -ceilinged open-plan area with excellent signage and clear

Figure 9 .3 2 Huntingdon Lib rary: ground fi oor plan. Co urtesy of CPMG Arc hitects Limited

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Contemporary Library Architecture

sight-lines across the whole space, so that the different library A

Att the entrance an an attractive chrome and plate glass stai staircase
rcase
sections and servi
services
ces can
can be taken
taken in
in a sing
single
le view on
on entry leads to the first
fi rst floor archives, IT learnin
learningg centre, meeti
meetingng
into the building. The highighh ceiling is supported by polished rooms and
and study areas. The walls are enli enlivened
vened by high quality
quali ty
concrete columns, and and a lig
light
ht well illuminates the
th e central
centra l floor
floor photographic panels which which depict local historic houses,
area. The building
building is entered by automatic sliding doors which gardens
garde ns and other scenes from tthe he town's heritage, which
which add
open into a small
sma ll lobby, where push chairs or mobility scooters a sense of identity to the interior; equally,
eq ually, end panels of some
can
ca n be stored, with a further
furt her sliding door leading
leading into
into the bookshelf sta
stands
nds are also decorated wit withh photograp
photographichic panels,
pa nels,
main
ma in library space. Tho
Though
Thoug
ughh sliding doors are more expensive to good effect. The library
li brary cafe is very
ve ry popula
popular,r, servi
serving
ng cooked
cooked
than automatic doors that open inwards or outwards, designer meals
mea ls as well as providi
providingng snacks and refreshme
refreshments,
nts, and
and is
Leonore C Charlton
harlton thinks they are much more efficient and and managed by Cambridgeshire Catering Service.
managed Service. The library
library is
easier for customers to use.
use. visited by up
visited up to 1,000 users on a busy day. day.

Figure
Fig ure 9.33 Hun gdon Ib
unntlrngdon ,b irS floor
lo rary: irs! 00' pia . Courtesy of A rc I,,tects
0 CPMG Arc
A ,im,ned
eelS iml ed

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 Public library case studies

Figure 9.34 Pronounced corner of new Huntingdon Ibrary and A rchive, designed by Crampln Pring McCartney Gant and
ope ned In 20CR

Figure 9.35 Ground fioor interior of Huntingdon Library and Archive

128 129
Contemporary Library Architecture

Newcastle City Library

Opened: June 2009 - information, loca l studies, music and fi ction, children and
Client: Newcastle City Council young people, meeti ng rooms and ca fe - all of equal status
Architect: Ryder Arch itecture and all served by a number of info rmation points where
Project description: public library staff cou ld handle enqui ries as and when needed. The cafe
Library size: 8,300 square metres is franch ised out and has been a great success, contributing
Cost: £25 million much-needed revenue to the li brary service.
Visitor numbers: 3,800 per day
Library services are provided over six floors. Several specialist
In March 2002 the Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) co llections were made mo re publicly accessible. So, for
put out a ca ll for PFI proposals, including new library buildings. example, there is 'The Boo k Ga llery', where interesting or
By this time Newcastle Council had decided that it wa nted to unus ual boo ks from the stack are set out for display (and
replace its existing central library which, though desig ned by Sir ha ndling) on a series of bespoke she lves made from walnut.
Basil Spence, and opened in 1967, had failed to stand the test of The library also houses 'The Newcastle Co llection' which
time. According to the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor is mou nted in a series of illumi nated glass boxes, an idea
David Faulkner, 'the old library was almost un loved from the time inspired by the King's Lib rary at the British Library. An
it went up. It was a product of that concrete building spree. Dan i nteresti ng example of how consultation ca n sometimes
Smith and the Brasilia of the North' (Phethean, 2009: 21). The produce failed predictive information, is that ma ny users of
PFI process did not involve an architectura l competition, but it the loca l history library clamoured fo r pub lic lockers to be
did invite bids from consortia to cost and provide designs for installed there, though once in place they are now rarely used,
a state of the art public library designed to meet a nu mber of and take up va luab le space that co uld have been used for
defined 'Outcome specifications: A design panel was established other purposes.
including elected councillors, senior library staff as well as private
sector advisers, along with the Regional Development Agency, Changing the status and fluidity of the spaces had to be
the Civic Trust and CABE. The consortium chosen after much accompanied by cha ngi ng the working practices of the staff.
consultation and deliberation was led by a Japanese company, Library staff were no longer desk-staff but floor-staff, 'working
Kajima, in conj unction with the architectural practice of Ryder the room' so to speak, meeti ng and greeting and trained to
Architecture and the Royal Bank of Scotland. This consortium, handle a variety of book and information enquiries on the spot.
once selected, was charged with the design, construction and This itself was precipitated by the decision to encourage 100 per
maintenance of a new Newcastle City library for 25 years, creati ng cent self-service by library users, and library staff were pleased
a dedicated operational company for this purpose. Total cost of to see how quickly the public adapted to this.
th e project was around £40 million , with capital outlay of circa
£24 million and lifecycle costs of £15 million. When the buildi ng The children's library occupies much of the third floor, easily
opened on 7 June 2009, queues stretched all the way round the accessible by lifts, close to the you ng people's library. There
building, down to Northumberland Street. are no adult toilets on this floo r, and the area is supervised by
staff all the time, all trained in child protection issues, given
A lot of work went into consu lting with library users, public concern on this issue. The building is Wi-Fi th roughout,
non-users, library staff and ottl ers as to what shou ld be t he and users kn ow that the IT manager in the building is able
principa l fea tu res of the new library, and apart from th e to monitor what is on people's screens when they are online,
obvious wish for brighter, cleaner, more attractive settings, and th us ab le to scree n for pornography or other inappropriate
the key idea which emerged was the notion of a place th at uses.
encouraged multiple and independent uses of the library as and
when people wanted to visit. Thus, for examp le, th e traditional The new library was bui lt on the site of the old one, once
idea th at library users are first and foremost con fronted by a th is had been demolished. Indeed it shares exactly the same
desk when they enter had to go . This notion of a hierarchy footp ri nt and uses the fo rmer library's fou ndations, though
of spaces contro lled and directed by library staff no longer this one reso lves the almost impossib le access problems of the
seemed suitable or apposite for twenty-first century users. fonner building, according to arch itect Ia n Kennedy of Ryder
Instead the building was divided into five service areas Architecture, which 'was desig ned aro und a grand scheme

130 131
 Public library case studies

for Newcastle city centre, with first floor access from raised total scheme never materialised, so you were left with these
wa lkways in the air and cars beneath. Many of these bridges idiosyncratic entrances floating in mid-air, almost inaccessible'
and wa lkways are still in evidence round the city, but the (Phethea n, 2009: 22).

Figure 9.36 Level 1 Floor plan, Newcastle City L.brary, courtesy of Ryder Arch itecture

Figure 9 .37 Level 2 Floor plan, ewcastle City Library, courtesy of Ryder Arch.tecture

130 131
Contemporary Library Architecture

Though on the perimeter of the centra l area of the city, it the building. Th is required
requi red the creation
creatio n of a distinct
is adjacent to the Laing Art Gallery;
Ga llery; however, a busy ring personali ty for each space.
personality
occ upies a corner site with two
road separates the two. It occupies (Phethean,
(P 2009: 71)
hethean, 2009:
eq uall status
entrances of equa status and equa
eq uall use. One leads into the
t he
area , the other straig ht into tthe
large and very attractive cafe area, he you have entered the main atrium it is possible to take
Once you
atri um.
main ground floor atrium. um. in most of the library and its distinct areas at a single
si ngle glance,
and way-finding is aided by a cleverly designed colour-coding
The development of the library site offered the potential scheme.
scheme. Although the building is, in in essence, a rectangular box,
to transform the urban
urban landscape
la ndsca pe around the building a glass extension overhangs the main street, so that people can
and reinforce the physical and
and visual lin kages between see the library from a dista
distance,
nce, as, for example, when
when they come
the Blue Carpet (an adjacent
adjace nt open
open square)
sq uare) and the Laing out of the Metro Station at the Earl Grey's Monument. On the
Art Gallery on
on one side, and
and Princess Square on t he top floor
floor of this
this glazed extension is a viewing deck furnished
other. At the core of the concept was a synthesis of the Swan and E
with pin k leather Arne Jacobsen Swan Egg
gg chairs, sponsored
architectural and townscape design so that external spaces by Ryder Architecture who helped design the building. This is
and movement patterns could flow into and through like a penthouse sun-trap and is very popular. The library now
receives about 3,800 visitors each day.

Figure 9.38 G mu nd floor of Newcastl e Library by Ryd er Arch ltecrure

Fig ure 99.39

Figure
Figura .39 Enqu.ry
Enqu iry desks ano
EnquIry and OUIC
quiC~
qulC~ access computer sta lls on ground floor of
Newcastle LIbrary
lIbrary
Library

132 133
 Publ ic library case studies
Public

Figure 9
Figur" 9.40
40 01 Newcastle
. Corner glazed tower 01 ewcastle Llbrary
~

132 133
Contemporary Library Architecture

Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library

Opening date: 2001 from within a great atrium entrance hall, which is also used
Client: Norfolk County Council (with major partnership fu ndi ng
(lient: for meetings, concerts and art exhibitions. The cost of the
from Millennium Commission & Norwich City Council) deveLopment was Largely
argeLy raised from Mi LLennium Lottery funds .
Architect: Michael Hopkins & Partners The new Library with in the Norwich Forum repLaces
replaces the old
oLd
Project description: public library within Large retai L, pubLic Norwich Library destroyed by fire in 1994. In 2010 the Library
information and exhibition atrium caLLed The Norwich
Norwich was attracting 1.5 million
milLion visits a year and has become the
Forum . busiest Library in t he UK.
Library size: 4,621 square metres
Cost: f:63.5
(ost: £63.5 million Why is this different from a traditionaL library
Library in its design
Stock: 325,000 items and service? For astart
a start 90 per cent of books and other
Visitor numbers: 1.5 million
million per year. materia Ls issued are issued through seLf-service
self-service machines,
leavi ng staff to deaL in perso n with queries and reader
Designed by architects, Michael Hop
Hopkins
ki ns and Partners, this advice. Most of t hese materiaLs co ntain RFID recognition
civic complex opened in 2001, within the larger Norwich inserts, which means not only onLy t hat self-service simply
simpLy
Forum. The Norfolk and Norwich Millenniu m Library is just requires the borrower to pass t hem under a scanning
one element of the building, though tthe he ce ntre-piece and device, but aLsoaLso mea ns t hat the Library staff can track the
principal element. The development cost f:63£63 millio n and whereabo uts of aLL materiaLs,
materials, and interrogate the system
includes shops, cafes and restaurants, the headq uarters of t he for frequency and and patterns of borrowing, leading
Lead ing to a more
regional BBC, a Learning City (IT skills centre) and a Learning intelligent
in te LLige nt und erstanding of the stock. There is no reference
Shop (further education advice), all
alt housed and accessed Library as such; nearly all
library aLL the materia
materiall is on
on open access

Figure 9.41 Norfolk

orfolk and Norwlch
orwlch MIllennium
Millennium ProJect: The Forum Contex
Conte x Plan
Plan.. Co
Counesy
unesy of Michael
MIchael Hopkms
HopkinS & Partners

134 135
 Public library case studies

Figure 9 .4 2 Norfo lk and NOrwlCh M ill ennIUm ProJect: Ground Floor Plan. Courtesy 0' M lchae l Hopkl ns & Partners

sheLves and there are study tables and desks strategically floor Library, which contains much of the non-fiction and Local
pLaced throughout the library, providing some 220 study history materiaLs, is open six days a week. Many library users
spaces. It has been a deLiberate - and successfuL - poLicy can be directly contacted by emaiL newsletters aLerting them
not to separate the book stock from the ICT terminaLs. to new books in stock, visits by authors, invitations to join
According to a senior staff member at Norwich: reading groups, thus connecting the library service to people
in their own homes - including reminders of overdue books to
You've got to have the two. And, I think that what's be returned.
nice is that the two are integrated. We go into a Lot of
Libraries where the IT is aLL in one space together, and the The overall shape of the buiLding combines two main structural
books are all in another space, so you're almost recreating elements - an urban civic Library embedded in a large covered
what we used to have in the lending and reference public concourse or malL. One of the project architects has
sections. Ideally the two need to be integrated. well descri bed this reference back to oLder building types as
(cited in Bryson et aI., 2003: 31) foLLows:

The Library hoLds more than 120,000 books on open access, You can anaLyse our building and say quite simpLy we've
approximateLy the same number as the oLd Library once heLd. got a semi-circuLar library that you could say is half a
There is free Internet access avaiLabLe at 115 computer classical reading room, literally chopped in half - around
terminals, the system being filtered for inappropriate material the outside of which we've got a relatively traditional
by a series of keywords. The library empLoys 75 staff, some construction with relatively modest window-sized
part-time. The ground floor of the library, which contains openings with bay windows, with study booths, we've
fiction, the children's library, CDs and DVDs, is open seven then got a panopticon-type radial plan which comes
days a week, and Sunday is promoted as 'Family Day'. The first into a central space. And then the other half of that

134 135
Contemporary Library Architecture

orfolk and Norwlch

Figure 9.43 Norfolk orwlch MIllennium
M,llenn,um ProJeet:
Project The Forum Cross SectIon.
Seetlon. Cour esy of
0 MIchael opkms & Partners
opkans

we've got, instead of having your your comp L Lete

ete circle of t he The Library not only draws on on certain architecturaL traditions,
Library we've got the equiva Lent of a Victorian
Victoria n raiLway
railway it also responds
respo nds to theth e particular
particu lar history of the city of Norwich
station, reaLLy
rea lly with
with a Large open
open conco urse with
with peopLe and
and its culture. There
Th ere is an especially fine coLlection
co llection of art
milling
miLLing through it. So in in a way the
t he Victorians
Victoria ns had the books, partly a response to the presence of a well-known weLL-known Art
prototypes and we've merged various ideas that have SchooL inin the city, but aLso because of a Long tradition of a
been around ... The buiLding
building makes an outside space and disti nctive painting
distinctive painti ng schooL known as the t he 'Norwich
'Norwich School' of
then that connects through
through a big gLass wall
waLL to an
an inside Landscape
La ndscape water-coLourists
water-coLo urists and painters. Furthermore a room
space ... so that it Links directly
directLy into tthe
he streetscape ... has been
been provided to hoLd the Second Air Division MemoriaL
li brary, which honours the American forces personneL based in
library,
We had a three-storey buiLding
building and we had it at the back
back East Anglia
East Ang lia during
duri ng the Second World War who lost their lives
of a hub of this U-shaped
U-shaped space. And
And we decided to have in
in the conflict. This attracts many visitors, including many
this semi-circuLar
semi-circu Lar form, and
and that had interesting
interesti ng aspects American reLatives
relatives of those memorialised, as well as historians
in terms of context on the outside of the buiLding,
building , but and
and those interested in American history and culture. cu lture.
had an interesting aspect in in terms of the inside of the
building, in that it had very much a centra l space which
buiLding, which Where others may have eschewed monumentality in the public
could allow
aLLow a more noisy activity, and then
then you cou ld face of new library
Library architecture, the Norwich Millennium
filter
fiLter through that space towards the outside of the library makes
ma kes this a talking point and as one of its architects
building and go towards quieter study areas. So there was
buiLding has said, 'it is a sort of public gesture to put the architecture
a very clear idea on the planplan how a circular arrangement out in the open realm:
rea lm: The design has also brought a new
might work architecturally. element to N Norwich
orwich life, as the then Head of library Services
(Bryson et al., 2003: 30) noted:

136 137
 Public library case studies

On a lovely summer day the steps are just full of people, Beca use the Millen ni um Li brary is part of the larger Norwich
and it looks like a scene in Paris. There are these public Forum, which is managed as an independent Trust, it benefits
spaces, but in Norwich there has never been that sort of from a dedicated in-house Building Services team with 10
public space. I think it takes time for people to realise staff on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a
the potential of a space like that. year. Thus all repairs, maintenance and cleaning are handled
(cited in Bryson et 01., 2003: 33) continuously, as and when needed.

The integration of inside and outside is highlighted by the In almost all respects the Millennium Library in Norwich
comment of one of the Norfolk Business Focus Group when succeeds brilliantly. The one outstanding difficulty to be
asked about how the new library feels : resolved is temperature control within the building, both
within the atrium and the library itself. Large glazed atria
First of all what really pleased me is that I've traditionally are subject to problems with ambient temperature, and the
seen libraries as something you sit in, you focus inward in relatively deep interior of the library sections makes natural
personal spaces - but this is a completely different sort ventilation difficult. There is also a recognised need for
of atmosphere! First of all it's very welcoming, you hardly secure storage space for buggies, so popular is the library
feel like you've walked into a building. You've walked into amongst parents and carers with young children. This is a
an environment - which I really do like. You've got this design issue which most Scandinavian libraries solved decades
immediate feeling like being a part of something. You can ago, providing ample space for buggies, self-service clothes
use the opportunity to learn, have fun and relax. You can lockers and places for outdoor shoes and wellington boots, all
look outside and see the most wonderful views, obviously anticipated because of the weather.
which I think helps the whole creative process.
(Bryson et al., 2003: 49 - 50)

Figure 9.44 Glazed facade of olWlCh forum , from library. looking across to main market square and City roofl lne

136 137
Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 9.46 Norwlch llbrary

Ibrary purposely mixes re erence and lendlng
le ndlng stock, ca usal read
causal mg and study areas
readmg

Figure 9.46 Ma
Mal
a ln public
p
l pubhc a rea of Norwlch
ub hc area ''orw,ch
'orWICh ing to N orwlch M
orw,ch Forum lead lng
NorwlCh mg ill ennium
Mill e nnnJu
illennium
illennlu IU Library
Llb rary
Llbrary

138 139
 Public library case studies

Idea Store Whitechapel

Opened: 2005 in terms of marketing and presentation was needed' (Ezard,
Client: London Borough of Tower Hamlets 2003). Working with design company Bisset Adams, Tower
Architect: Adjaye Associates Hamlets staff set out a plan for a series of new libraries and
Project description: public library with dance studio, meeting major refurbishments at a reduced number of sites, starting
rooms and further education programme in Bow, followed by Chrisp Street and then Whitechapel. Both
Library size: 3,500 square metres the latter two were new-build projects designed by Adjaye/
Cost: £16 million Associates.
Stock: 100,000 items
Visitor numbers: 2,000 visitors per day Idea Store Whitechapel opened in 2005 on the major
thoroughfare of Whitechapel Road, on a site provided at
The principal motive for the re-branding of public libraries in reduced cost by Sainsbury's supermarket as part of a planning
the London Borough of Tower Hamlets as 'Idea Stores' was deaL This is one of London's busiest street markets on one
that visitor numbers and book borrowings in the borough of the city's busiest roads (All), in an area rich with history.
were in freef all, and somet hing had to be done to reverse It provides 3,500 square metres of space over five floors, and
a pattern of rapid decline. A policy paper written in 2000 was built at a cost of £16 million, with Adjaye Associates
noted that, 'A staggering 72 per cent of the population never designing both the building and its interior. It won a RIBA
used the libra ry services on offer and it was decided that a London Award in 2006, and today is the busiest public library
radically different approach to provision of library services in inner London. In 2009 architects and designers, mackenzie

Figure 9 .47 Idea Store Whltechape l: ground fioor plan With subsequent suggest ions by deS igners, mackenZie whee ler, for adaptations and enhancements
afte r severa l years of intenS ive use

138 139
Contemporary Library Architecture

wheeler, were brought in to refine some of the interior design exhibition space for art work, as well as for public events and
issues which had emerged after five years of intensive use. ta lks, and the collection of art books is kept here, attractively
disp layed. This space also has a very good feel.
Certainly the building struck a bold - if controversia l note -
in an otherwise historic streetscape. The most talked -about The third floor is currently given over to learning materials
feature was a public escalator which 'hoovered up' passers and a number of learning Laboratories, where an extensive
by and visitors from the pavement to the first and second programme of adult educatio n classes are held. One of the
floors, within a tall narrow space behind the glass facade . Th is implications for calling these libraries 'Idea Stores' is that they
was in addition to two ground floor entrances, one at each are very much an integration of library and further education
end of the otherwise plain rectangular block. Unfortunately, services - very pro-active, and able to access both revenue
high maintenance costs for this bespoke esca lator, allied and project funding for many different kinds of educational
with security issues attached to 'opportunistic' access, have courses. When these learn ing laboratories are not in use they
caused the escalator to be closed and boarded off to the double up as additional study space for library users.
public for some time, although, with a new layout completed
in 2012, there are plans to re-open the escalator and make it On the first floor is the principal computer suite, heavily used,
an integral part of the building. Furthermore, one of the two along with non-fiction collections, a dedicated dance studio
ground floor entrances has been closed - there were problems with sprung floor, and a comp lementary therapy suite with
with cross-currents of cold air - so that there is now a si ngle showers and related facilities. All these spaces are programmed
entrance to the building, which seems to create no problems directly by Idea Store staff. The ground floor is largely taken
at all. up with fiction and a large, separate children's library, with its
own glass entry doors and continual supervision. At present
The interior quality is very high, with bea utiful red rubber Idea Store Whi techapel attracts 14,000 visits per week.
studded floor surfaces on all floors, bespoke wooden shelving
in attractive curved and straight config urations, many Overall the building has a very colourful feel to it. It is heavily
comfortable armchairs and sofas in addition to over 120 study used by people studying or attendi ng classes - many vocational
places. Access to all floors is mostly by lift, though there are or offering 'life-skills: The 'penthouse' cafe and gallery are
staircases too, if rather narrow. A new spiral staircase linking very popula r spaces, and possess an admirable degree of quiet
the ground and the first floor was recently insta lled, and conviviality and studiousness. The interior design, furnishings
there are now plans to reinstate the origina l open staircase and materials are all high quality and integrate the building.
connecting the second, third and fourth floors . The drawbacks are the breaking up of the floor-plate by the
central lift shafts and staircases, and the over-ambitiousness of
Lifts, staircases, toilets are all located in a centra l core, which the street escalator entrances. At first sight, the front curtilage
means that the basic floor-plate at each level of the building of the building at street level is almost extinguished by the
is in the shape of a square doughnut, or four connecting encroaching street market, but in practice it integrates the
galleries - not entirely satisfactory. There is a brightly lit top library completely into the life of this vibrant and dynamic
floor cafe serving proper meals as well as snacks, teas and neighbourhood - as it has always done at the Rotterdam Central
coffees, which is a popular meeting place. Adjacent to the Library which, too, is entirely surrounded by market stalls. An
cafe is a news lounge, where library users can sit in armchairs important success story in the continuing development of new
and watch news television (without sound but with sub-titles) models of public library provision.
at selected times of the day. This top floor also contains an

140 141
 Public library case studies

Figure 9.48 Wr\ltchape ll dea Store

140 141
Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 9.49 Curving book display unl s and bright rubberised floors a Idea Store W' Itechapel

142 143
 Public library case studies

Winchester Discovery Centre

Opened: November 2007 Centre. The controversy was anticipated and possibly intended,
Client: Hampshire County Council as it signalled a remarkable change in the services provided in
Architect: Hampshire County Council Architects this new public amenity.
Project description: refurbishment of 1830s Corn Exchange -
and new-build extension - for public library, art gallery, Although a very attractive and clearly recognisable library sits
exhibition hall and performance hall. at the heart of the original building - lit by very large glazed
Cost: £7m roofing panels above - the visitor will also find an equally
Stock: 130,000 well-lit art gallery, an arts and crafts exhibition area, a 180
Visitor numbers: 500,000 per year seat Performance Halt (with retractable seating), interior and
terrace cafe areas, gift shop, meeting rooms, toilets, and a
The wholly refurbished and extended Winchester Discovery booking office for the many events held there. The building,
Centre was opened on 21 February 2008. This new concept which holds over 130,000 books and other stock items, now
of a library is based in the Grade I Corn Exchange and Market attracts half a million visitors a year and is generally agreed
House designed by architect Owen Brown Carter in 1838, to be a great success, not only as a result of a beautiful
where the city's public library had operated from 1936. re-fit and extension by the long-admired Hampshire County
Controversy surrounded the re-opening, notably around the Council Architects' Department, but also by a very dynamic
re-branding of the town library as the Winchester Discovery management team whose backgrounds embrace commercial

Figure 9 .50 Ground floor plan, W inchester Discovery Centre. Courtesy of Hampshire County CounCil

142 143
Contemporary Library Architecture

book-seLling, events management and a dedicated interest in

book-seLLing, The main library
Library area is one large square haLL with a central
centraL
Literature
Literature and the arts.
arts. staircase Leading up to a circular galLery
gaLLery (which in turn offers
access to the main exhibition gaLLery, directly
directLy at the top of
Those fearing that the re-branding might resu lt Lt in an overly
overLy the staircase).
staircase) . Th ere is aL
also
so a specialist collection
co LLection of over
corporate look,
Look, or embody a cheap and cheerful
cheerfuL retaiLing
retailing 10,000 books about raiLways
railways - a regiona lLinterest - which
ethos, will be disappointed.
disappointed. Both interior and exterior attracts visitors from near and far. PCspes are cLustered
clustered in small
smalL
exude seriousness, adelight
a delight in light and colour,
coLour, and civic islands,
isLands, as weLL as distributed th roughout the rest of the
professionalism.. The interplay
professionalism interpLay between tthehe arts - in the Library. There are 27 PCs,
library. pes, though many users bring their
form of the vast tapestry mural
muraL by Alice
ALice KKettle
ettLe in the cafel
cafe/ own laptops a nd take advantage of the free Wi- Fi. Use of
fiction gaLLery, the arts and crafts disp lay
Lay area, the temporary library computers is filtered
fiLtered so that, for example, under-15s
exhibition waLls, as weLl
well as the main gallery
galLery - and the can not aeeess
access social networki ng sites. The ehildren's
children's library is
book-stock is both dynamic and powerful. One integrating off-centre and freely
off-eentre freeLy accessible to all users, and is supervised
feature is the very boLd
bold Lettering, within and without, by library staff acting as floor staff rather than sitting behind
designed by Winchester-based graphic design company, desks.
Peagreen, which works tremendousLy
tremendously welL, as can be seen in
the shelf-end
sheLf-end lettering.
Lettering. The Oiseovery
Discovery (entre
Centre earns revenue through eorporate
corporate
bookings of the meeting rooms, performance haLL hall and
There are three entrances. The first is through the mainmain (orn
Corn catering facilities, as weLl
well as through the hire of rooms on a
Exchange portico which, Like the entrance to the Stockholm regular basis to loea
locall educational
edueational and social organisations,
Library, allows
aLlows a view of a central staircase leading up into arts and dance groups, and a number of employment clubs
a circu
circular
lar room. The second is a side entrance from the car and eareers
careers advisory services. Events range from chamber
park, and there
th ere is also another main entrance through the music concerts, poetry readings, book-signings, theatre and
new extension wing to the east, which is fronted by a sma llLL dance performances, to fashion shows, craft fairs and touring
attractive cafe terra
terrace,
ce, leading
Leading into the cafe, box office, gift exhibitions. Thus the building has created
created a vibrant arts and
shop and fiction section
section.. In
In this double height wing, aLL the performance centre with a proper pubLicpublic library service at its
bookshelves are on castors, and can be moved to create a heart. ALL facilities
faeilities are fu lly
LLy aeeessible.
accessible.
performance space with its own entrance, bar and catering.

Figure 9.51 Grade I I,sted former Corn Exchange now re'urb tshed as W onchester Discovery Ce ntre (,nclud ,ng I,brary)

144 145
 Public library case studies

Figu re 9.52 Well sign-posted lend ing library rotunda and stairs to upper library floor and gallery at Wmchester
D,scove ry Centre

Figure 9.53 Handsome extension to former Winchester Corn Exchange providing additional library space and cafe,
deSigned by Hampshire County Counc il Architects

144 145
CHAPTER 10

Academic library case

studies
Aberdeen: Un iversity of Aberdeen , University Library

Opening date: Autumn 2011 University claims, no doubt referrin g to the green, blue and
Client: University of Aberdeen white striatio n of the glazing and irregu lar frame. Inside is
Architect: schmidt/hammer/Lassen another matter, with an atri um ('a n architectural whirlwind'
Project description: university Library, ga llery, SpeciaL according to design cri tic Jo natha n Glancey) created by an
CoLLections centre, GLucksman Conservation Centre ascendi ng series of irregu Lar gallery fLoors reachi ng to a top
Library size: 15,500 square metres skylight which, loo king dow n from above, appear like a set of
Cost: £57 million (including costs of demoLition work, site galleries in a surrea list opera house, and somewhat vertiginous
cleara nce and Landscaping) as well. If t he effect is dizzyi ng, it is also spectacular and
Stock: 400,000 modern books, 200,000 rare boo ks, 4,000 memo rable, with each floo r unique in its configuration, and,
archive and manuscript coLLections equa lly importa ntly, with sight-lin es which ru n from one side
Visitor numbers: Up to 5,000 per day to the other, with views to t he North Sea to the east, and to
t he city to the west.
This new Library repLaces two existing Libraries: the Quee n
Mother Li brary and Special Libraries and Arc hives. The QML There are seven floors above grou nd, and two lower ground
is to be demolished and was originally designed to cater floors - where man uscripts, archives and ra re book collections
for 5,000 students, but there are now 15,000 stude nts on are kept in a highly controlled environme nt. The ground floor
campus. SLA is the former location for the storage and is LargeLy taken up by a cafe area, reception desk, public
research facilities for t he collection of man uscripts, archives gallery and conco urse, while t wo 'I N' and 'OUT' electronic
and rare books In fact Aberdeen University - one of th e gates allow registered library users access to the lifts and to
oldest universities in the world - also has 'one of th e fi nest th e library proper on the lower and upper floors . However,
and rarest collections of books, prints, and ma nuscripts in library use is not rest ricted only to un iversity students, but is
existence; according to its supporters, and t hese have to be available to oth er members of the public on registration. For
properly conserved. th e library also sees its mission as maki ng available its great
co llections and archives to t he wider Scottish public for whom
An internationa l competition was held in 2005 to choose Aberdeen University has always enjoyed regiona l and national
the arc hitects for what was intended to be a bui ldi ng of importa nce.
internationa l status. This attracted over 100 expressions of
interest leading to 40 full submissions, from which a shortlist The bui lding is mou nted on a plinth and entered through a
of six entries was made. The winning practice was schmidt; si ngle entrance (wit h fully glazed revo lving and manual doors)
hammer/lassen, for whom libraries have become someth ing from a gently slopin g ceremonial approach from the east wh ich
of a specia li ty, with The Royal Danish Library (The 'Black is where th e main uni versity campus is located. The externaL
Diamond') in Copenhagen, and libraries in Halmstad and Vaxjii approach is paved with Caith ness Stone, which is continued
(bot h in Sweden) to their credit during the past decade. inside and co nstitutes t he floor surface of the library at
gro un d level (as well as the floor surface of the lifts). This is a
From th e outside the building is a seven-storey high terrific touch, grou nding the library in an ancient stone of the
gLazed cube, iridescent, but solid in form and appeara nce. region, and also evoking th e rep utation of Aberdee n as 'the
'A glittering bui lding with resonances of th e North; th e

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 Academic library case studies

granite city', where stone has a cultural resonance beyond its effectively cut off from the busy areas of movement and
material qualities alone. congregation.

Thus there are six floors of open access library, with over Although it is a public building, to which outsiders can
1200 study spaces, and hundreds of PCs and iMACs, including secure quick registration and entry, it is governed by strong
13,000 kilometres of shelving. The atrium space is sensational. library protocols, into which students and other members are
Looking upwards one looks through a series of randomly inducted. These range from the practical - 'no food or drink
centred soft triangles, each one the balcony area of a new above the ground floor' - to respect for other users, along
floor. The known problems associated with atria - noise levels, with induction for all users into understanding the principles
food smells, visual distraction from one floor to the next - of copyright, intellectual property rights, and the dangers of
are minimal here. As University Librarian, Chris Banks, told plagiarism (or simply copying material off the Internet). All
me: 'There's a tradition that the higher (or deeper) you go in public areas are Wi-Fi. The interior colour scheme is principally
a library the quieter it should be. We've done it differently. white, grey and black - the books and the people provide the
Each floor is designed to quieten down as you move from one colour, the architects have argued. Each floor is covered by
side of the building to the other: Thus the lifts are located CCTV as back-up for staff security should any problems arise.
to the north side of the building, on each floor, as are the
photocopying machines, public access computers and other The building has been certified as BREEAM Excellent, and
places where people gather or converse. As one moves across incorporates rainwater harvesting for WC flushing; photo
each floor - which are all roughly configured to the same voltaic cells on library roof; hybrid ventilation systems, and
floor-plan - the library shelves increase in density, baffling energy capture from the high levels of glazing, along with
sound, and lead to a series of quiet spaces and study rooms high levels of natural light from the atrium roof-light.

Figure 1 0.1 A berdeen University ground fioor and furnishing plan. Courtesy of HCS BUSiness Imeflors

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Figu re 10.2 Aberdeen Unoverslty firs floor and urnishing plan. Courtesy of HCS Business Imerlors

Figure 10.3 Aberdeen University seventh oor and furnishing plan. Courtesy 0' HCS Business Interiors

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 Academic library case studies

Figure 10.4 Aberdeen Un ivers ity Library by schm idt/hammer/lassen. opened In 2011

Figure 10.5 Main ra ised plaza entrance to Aberdeen UniverS ity Library. Figure 10.6 Scu lptura l atrium ba lcon ies and library areas at Aberdeen
reflecting o lder bU ldli ngs University Library

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Kings Norton Library: Cranfield University

Opened: 1992 enjoyab le to use and as accessible for as much of the time
Client: Cranfield University as possible. Whi le many students could equally access the
Architect: Foster + Partners materia l they need to use from personal computers in their
Project description: university research library rooms in ha lls of residence, today most choose to use the
Library size: 3,400 square metres library as a more supportive and congenial space. In fact it
Cost: £7.5 million opens from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to midn ig ht, though
at weekends opening hours are shorter. At night the building
Cranfield University (the former College of Aeronautics) is exudes a sense of drama and spectacle, illuminated from
a post-graduate, research-based university specialising in within.
aerospace and defence technology, engineering, applied
science, health care and management. The University's Cranfield The early design included lecture rooms and classrooms on the
Campus is located on the perimeter of a still busy airfield in ground floor, t hough it was anticipated that later on these
the rural Bedfordshire hinterland of Milton Keynes. The new might be re-co lonised for library storage and related use,
library was the subject of a feasibility study first begun in and this has now happened. The ground floor also contains a
1986 whic h culminated in a competition won by Sir Norman refresh ment area, now serviced by vending machines. The first
Foster + Partners. The building was comp leted in 1992. Overall floor is given over to t he library proper, featuri ng open-plan
the library provides 3,400 square metres of floor space, with welcome and information desks, self-issue and return book
266 seating places. kiosks, and administration services grouped in a very informal
manner, and the second, upper, floor is devoted to periodicals
The Kings Norton Library, named after a former Chancellor, and quiet study areas. The building is triple-glazed for sound -
is essentially a three-storey glass-walled rectangle in four proofing against the noise of the adjacent airfie ld. Central to
sections or bays, each given visual form by a distinctive the design brief was the idea that the library should employ
scalloped or vaulted roof which overhangs on all sides to minima l signage, be easy to understand at a glance, be light,
provide an arcade (as well as shading) at the front and sides. open and we lcoming. The building is essentia lly open access
The elegant but nevertheless shed-like appearance matches to anybody, though the library areas are security-screened
the aircraft hangars close by. The library serves a somewhat at exit points for material taken out without being properly
sprawling campus made up of former aerodrome buildings issued. The atmosphere is congenial and unbureaucratic.
and residential quarters, along with a lot of new buildings
designed to cope with university expansion over the past four On entering t he library one enters a full-height atrium, with
decades. One of the key ambitions of the library brief was to elegant, wide glass stairs inviting the visitor to see at a
create a meeting place for the rather scattered community of glance where everything is and how to get there. The colour
post-graduate students, staff and researchers, and therefore it scheme is mostly grey, with steel and glass accompaniment,
had to occupy a centra l position on the site, be easy to find, and the interior fee ls engineered to perfection. It is a very

Figure 10.7 Cranfield University Library : Section

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 Academic library case studies

calm, beautiful space, and shows no sign of ageing even after staircase is a central feature of the interior. It is also soon
twenty years of busy use - which is principally a testament to evident that the spacing between the horizontal bars of th e
the quality of the materials used and the elegant simplicity staircase supports and gallery balconies is wide enough for
of the design. At many points in between the bookshelves or a child to slip through and would not be allowed in public
in the more open areas, it is possible to see out of all four buildings today, elegant though they certainly are. The figures
sides of the building, so there is enormous visual transparency on this page are reproduced by kind permission of Foster +
to the scheme. Interestingly, a large proportion of the seats Partners.
for readers are provided by a continuous desk-top which runs
round the perimeter of the interior on first and second floors,
looking out, with data, phone and power points every 800mm.

One problem which emerged early on was that the decision

to allocate the ground floor to lecture theatres and seminar
rooms meant that while students or conference attendees were
gathering in the atrium to enter the rooms, the noise of their
greetings and conversation intruded on library users on the
two floors above. Fortunately this had aLways been designed
as a temporary arrangement, and when the ground floor
was regained for library purposes the probLem disappeared.
But it was a saLutary Lesson in the need to sound-insuLate
meeting spaces and study spaces in what may be desired as
an open-plan setting - particularly those in which a public

Figure 10.8 Cranf.eld University Library: Ground floor plan

Figure 10.9 Cranfield UniverSity Library: First fioor p lan Figure 10.10 Cranfield Un.verslty Library: Second floor p lan

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 10.11 Scalloped overhang canopy at Cranfield University Ibrary oy Foster + Partners

Figure 10.12 Imenor view of hbrary atriums and galleries at CranfIeld Figure 10.13 ,orary balconies and galle(les at Cran~eld University
Untverslty Library L,brary

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 Academic library case studies

University of Sheffield: The Informatio n Com mo ns

Opened: 2007 every room. The building was conceived by - and is operated
Client: University of Sheffield jointly by - the University Library and the University's IT
Architect: RMJM service.
Project description: academic library
Library size: 11,500 square metres The IC (as it is called) is a seven-storey building in a rather
Cost: £24m monumental (indeed, monolithic) and dramatic style, clad
Stock: 110,000 volumes in copper and grey terracotta tiles. At first sight this does
Visitor numbers: 1.5 million per annum not look anything like a library, and more like a great
engine-room, but once inside the large four-floor central
The Information Commons is a new library and information atrium - filled with natural light from side-windows oriented
technology building on the University of Sheffield Campus to the north which cannot be seen from the front of the
designed by RMJM and opened in 2007. It complements building - is airy, bright, co lourful and purposive. The high
the existing Western Bank Library - also detailed in these level of natural lighting in large open-plan spaces allows
case studies - and is intended to provide nearly 1,400 'long-distance sight-lines for the majority of study spaces,
study spaces primarily for undergraduate students. The new enabling students to rest eyes during long study sessions:
building contains a print collection of 110,000 volumes, 550 Also, desks and shelves are served by high ly loca lised task
personal computers and a number of workstations, in a mix of lighting.
open-plan and closed 'quiet rooms'. It also has 13 group study
rooms, and 2 classrooms. On the ground floor adjacent to the The building is primarily constructed of a reinforced concrete
entrance hall is a cafe. Entry is only accessible to those with frame with lightweight semi -precast floor slabs. The cladding
swipe-cards, and in the foyer is a bank of overhead monitors is supported by a steel frame. As the building is sited
which detail current vacant study spaces on every floor and in at a very noisy location, with a busy traffic intersection

UnN-ers yof Sheff.eh1 I(,forma Ion Commons

UniYersltyof Sheffield
Ground Floor Plan

Figure 10.14 Univers ity of Sheffield In ormation Commons: Ground oor p lan. Reproduced courtesy of RM M

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Contemporary Library Architecture

immediately adjacent, as weLL as a rapid transit tram system IndividuaL study space has been generousLy designed to
station, natura LventiLation co uLd not be considered, and provide 4.2 square metres fo r each user, giving roo m for
the building is venti Lated by chilled or heated air systems Laptops, books and papers to be spread out. SheLvi ng was
distributed throug h the floor void. wideLy spaced at 1.8 m ce ntres to allow whee Lchair users to
t urn in the aisLes or pass other users, and shelving heig ht
Senior Library staff worked with RMJM to deveLop a typo Logy was restricted to five she Lves maximu m to allow hig h LeveLs
of study spaces which shouLd be made availabLe in the IC, and of visibility (a nd Lig ht) across the open -pLan floo rs. The
ended up with ni ne disti nct categories: who Le buildi ng is wireLess networked so that students can use
Laptops or smart phones wherever they are.
• Open-pLan individua Lstudy desks (with PC or provision for
users' laptops) Access to the building is offered 24 hours a day, seven days a
week with a concierge system operati ng when dedica ted Library
• Silent study space with individua l study desks
staff are not at work in th e building, which th ey are from 9am
• Open-plan group work tables to 9pm weekdays and 9pm to 5pm at weekends. The cafe is
also accessibLe 24 hours a day, but overnight food and dri nks
• Open-plan group work pods (semi-enclosed spaces)
are only availab le from vending machines. Maximum occupancy
• Informa l soft seating (open pla n and silent study) is frequently achieved and the buildin g is regarded as a great
success not only with students and Libra ry ma nagers, but
• Enclosed group st udy rooms
has also won severa l architectural awards, and is visited by
• Flexi-space places with mo bile furnitu re Librarians from oth er parts of the UKand abroad to see how
it operates. It has been estimated t hat the buildi ng aLone
• Classroom spaces
has increased lib rary use on the campus by as much as 50
• Cybercafe pLaces (wireLess and kiosk-type per cent , confi rming that the university Library is sti ll a major
workstations) . foca Lpoi nt of stude nt Life and Learning.

Figure 10.15 Unive rs ity of Sheffield Information Commons: Firs oor plan. Reproduced cour esy of RMJM

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 Academic library case studies

Figure 10.16 UniversIty of Sheffield Information Commons: SectIon BB (Reproduced courtesy of RMJM)

Figure 10.17 Externa l vIew of SheffIeld UnIvers ity Information Commons Figure 10.18 Informal read ing room lounge at Sheffield University
by RMJM, opened In 2007 Information Commons

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Contemporary Library Architecture

University of Sheffield: West ern Bank Library

Opened: 1959, restored in 2009 reveaLing just how wonderful the very best of modern
Client: University of Sheffield movement architecture couLd be when done properLy. It is luxe,
Architect: Gollins MeLvin Ward and Partners, restored by Avanti co/me et volupte, and yet cool and serene, as a serious Libra ry
Architects shou ld be.
Project description: academic Library
Library size: 14,000 square metres The best exterior view is from the rear, where the elegant
Cost of restoration: £3.4 million Low-sLung buildi ng (with four floors of stacks beLow ground
Stock: over 1 miLLion items Level) sits placidLy in beautiful rising parkland, and the simpLe
Visitor numbers: 400,000 per annum outlin e of a glazed rectangular box is clear to see. The main
entrance is Located in a paved piazza where it now has to
The main university library at SheffieLd - now ca lled the compete with other buiLdings and distractions. Once inside,
Western Bank Library - was opened by poet T.S. Eliot in however, the wide haLL and staircases immediateLy take the
1959 (when 75 per cent of the stock was in closed stacks). visitor into another worLd, and on the first floor there is the
Designed by architects Go llins MeLvi n Ward and Partners it was beautifulLy restored cata logue hall leading to the main reading
described by Sir NikoLaus Pevsner as 'the best modern building room - one of 'the largest interiors in the city' according to
in Sheffield.' This Grade II* Listed building has recently been critic Peter BlundeLL Jones - with vast windows looking out
'de-cluttered' and beautifu lLy restored by Avanti Architects, into the greensward behind.

Figure 10.19 Western Bank Li brary. The UniverSIty o f Sheffield . Catalogue Hall & Read ing Roo m Plan - Aft er Wo rks. Reprod uced with kind pe rml ss,on of
Avant ' A rc hi tects

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 Academic library case studies

Figure 10.20 Western Bank library, The UniversIty of SheffIeld. SectlOn - AA

Figure 10.21 Western Bank Library, the Un,verslty of Sheffield. Section - BB (Reproduced with kind permIssion from Avant' Arch itects)

156 157
Contemporary Library Architecture

The architect John Allan of Avanti had been a student at the The environmental credentiaLs of the restoration have been
university, so brought a prior knowledge of the building, which largely secured by the use of double glazing - without
he supplemented by extended research into the original plans changing the visual appearance of the former glazed areas -
and drawings. As Peter Blundell Jones has written: together with improved lighting (reLying on motion sensors
to turn off unwanted lights when spaces are not in use), and
This led to a 'conservation plan with management more effective heating suppLied by SheffieLd's city district
guidelines' for both the library and the adjacent Arts heating network. Library users, including those in wheelchairs,
Tower. The key conclusion was that the entry sequence now have direct access to most of the book-stock, and reading
had been lost by gradual encroachment of space and conditions in the former basement stacks are much improved.
clumsy security measures, and therefore the major visual
change to the building has been the clearing out of the The Western Bank Library holds over 1 million volumes though
entry corner, remaking of the mezzanine exhibition gallery specialist academic journals are increasingly available online
and freeing -up of the main staircase. The cata logue hall. through university subscription . As a building it possesses
now the repository of the map collection and reference a renewed sense of purpose, confirming the view of Avanti
books, has had its ceiling restored and rooflights Architects' principal, Joh n Allan , that 'adding things rarely
replaced, so day light is again visib le. In rearranging the improves a building, whereas removing them almost always
security and admission arrangements new desks have does: The restoration was subsequently awarded a Royal
been made for the librarians, designed by Avanti in a Institute of British Architects White Rose Gold Award for
minimalist style that suits the Miesian aesthetic without Architecture.
following it slavishly.
(Jones, 2010: 18)

Figure 10. 22 Park view of Shefflelo University Western Bank Library by Golltns MelVin Ward and Partners, restored by Avantl Architects

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 Academic library case studies

Figure 10 .23 Restored first fioor li brary reception hall at Sheffield Western Bank Library

University of Surrey: Library & Learn ing Centre

Opened: 2011 additional study space to cater for increased demand for place.
Client: University of Surrey It will be open 24 hours a day for 30 weeks of the year.
Architect: RMJM
Project description: university library and learning centre Architects RMJM were chosen in competition from a shortlist
Library size: 4950 square metres addition to existing building of five practices, on the basis of an hour- long presentation
of 8308 square metres at which the contenders presented drawings, models and
Cost: £13.2 million computer-generated images responding to a preliminary design
Stock: 540,000 printed books, 944 print journal subscriptions, brief. RMJM already had Sheffield University's Information
227,400 ebooks, 47,000 ejournal subscriptions Commons in their portfolio of past academic library projects.
The design brief required the new building to achieve a high
This new 'gold block' building sits tight in a crowded hillside BREEAM rating, which it does, including a 10 KW photo-voltaic
campus and does so very effectively, with ground -floor system generating 9,000 KW of renewable electricity per year,
entrances on opposite sides into a large foyer in which are reducing carbon footprint and generating income from the
located a cafe, bookshop and mini -market. The main library government's Feed-In -Tariff (FIT) scheme. The gold exterior
area occupies the first and second floors - the library entrance is achieved through the use of bronze anodised aluminium,
proper is on the first floor - with administrative offices on the and is both dramatic and uplifting, complementing the ye llow
third floor. The campus now serves over 15,000 students, and brick of much of the surrounding campus buildings, as well
with the opening of the new building has been able to provide as making a reference to the golden angel on the nearby

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Guildford Cathedral with which it enjoys some common sig ht- Automatic sorti ng of return ed books ensures that stock is back
lines (and was thus a major design constraint - or, perhaps, on the shelves quickly. The buildi ng is fully wireless enabled,
im perati ve) . and provides 300 additional study spaces and 180 additional
PCs to the number provided previous ly. The decision to call
In shape and structure the building is relatively conventional, t he new building a library and learni ng centre reflects the
with lift shaft and glazed stairwell at the centre providi ng more pro-active role of library staff in facilitating and helping
access to all floors in a rectangular floor-plate. However the students to become independent lea rners, and so staff in the
new library has also had to build bridges to two existi ng library ca n assist those students with language problems, as
adjacent buildings, no mean feat, and create effective well as helping Ph.D students work on their doctoral theses.
circulation routes connecting all three. Each floor mixes
book stacks with a range of study areas and comp uter suites, Interestingly the constructio n of the building itself became
thus avoiding a 'call centre' density of comp uter desks, a teachi ng reso urce for students studying engineering at
with additional sma ll breakout areas for pri vate readin g in the university. The sequencing of construction works had
comfortable chairs. There are a number of group study rooms - to be meticulo usly planned in consultation with the client
with floor to ceiling internal glazing - and several la rger quiet team, so that noise levels and other site disturbances and
study suites. In general thoug h sound levels are subd ued and disp laceme nts did not affect the continuing life of the
the atmosphere is quiet and purposeful. The bo ld and clear camp us, especially at exami nation times - and this was
signage was the resu lt of a separate procurement, as was the regarded as a real success in client-constructor co-operation .
provision of all the interior furniture and fi tti ngs. The bo ld extern al articulatio n gives a real solidity to what
internally is a series of discrete, transparent spaces of many
All of the stock is RFID comp liant, and th us all boo k issues shapes and sizes.
and returns are done through self-service sca nnin g machines.

Figure 10 .24 University of S rrey: Proposed site plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJM

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 Academic library case studies

Figure 10.25 University of Surrey: Ground level p lan. Reproduced co urtesy of RMJM

Figure 10.26 University of Surrey: Level 1 plan. Reproduced courtesy of RMJM

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Contemporary Library Architecture

Figure 10.27 University

Un,vers,ty of Surrey: Secnon
Section 2-2. eproduced courtesy 01 RMJM
of R J

Figure 10.28 New extens'on

ex enSion 01
of Surrey University
Un,vers, ty Ibrary
,brary and Learning
Learn,ng Centre by RMJM

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 Academic library case studies

Figure 10.29 Stairwell and study areas at Surrey University Library and Learning Centre

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PART 5

Lessons for
the future
Walkways, b ridges, galle ries a nd lig ht-wells at the new Card , '~ Cen al Lib rary
CHAPTER 11

Lessons from the

case studies and
post-occupancy
evaluation
A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a crucial stage in the overaLL assessment
of how a new building fulfils the intentions of those who commissioned it,
along with those responsible for its design. Thinking about this weLL in advance
can aid the planning process from the outset. There are particular demands
made on public buildings such as Libraries - especiaLLy in terms of location,
approach, public legibility, ease of access and sense of welcome - requiring
special attention in the way they are accomplished. Inside, such buildings should
provide clear signage and way-finding, expressing the diverse range of spaces and
experiences on offer. They should also be self-evidently a place for children and
families, offering amenities that support a longer and more enjoyable stay - not
just be a drop-in facility. Provision for staff should also be of high-quality and
fuLLy integrated into - and of a piece with - the overaLL design. In turn architects
and building managers have a right to expect staff to respect the original design
intentions, and not undermine the overaLL effect by quickly filling the key public
areas with clutter, or adding a proliferation of poorly executed signs and notices.
An agreement about the post-occupancy maintenance regime and schedule
should be part of the hand-over arrangements.

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 Lessons from the case studies and post-occupancy evaluation

The moment of truth for any new building or refurbishment A good example of building on success has been evident at
comes after a period of use, when the successes and failures of the Whitechapel Idea Store. Designed to acclaim by Adjaye
design come to the surface, or are revealed through everyday, Associates and opened in 2005, it was immediately popular and
repetitive use. This is the moment of the POE or post-occupancy heavily used, so much so that over time it became clear that
evaluation, when the experiences of building users, visitors and some re-adjustments to circulation patterns, entrances and exits,
the assessment of various engineering, environmental or design could only enhance the original vision. This was undertaken
professionals come together in a jury verdict, testing Stuart by architects and designers, mackenzie wheeler, in 2009 and is
Brand's observation, already cited, that 'All buildings are meeting now in process. Regular reviews of how buildings are working
predictions. All predictions are wrong' (Brand, 1997: 178) or meeting changing demands has to be integral to the library
service. This is 'how buildings learn'.
In his standard American work, Libraries Designed for Users, Nolan
Lushington suggests that any POE should include: Enright suggests that post-occupancy evaluations can be used to:

• A tracking study of user behaviour • Introduce a culture of feedback and dissemination of

expertise
• A focus group of library users
• Identify and quantify value for money projects and
• A focus group of library staff
cost-effectiveness
• A review of the building by the staff
• Introduce appropriate record management and provide
• Behaviour mapping of seating types and comparative technical information
intensity of use
• Identify and quantify the need to improve building services
• A review of the building by an independent library consultant and controls and evaluate performance issues such as energy
(not the consultant who wrote the original program) using performance
the library program and plan review process
• Help address occupant dissatisfaction, thus contributing to
• A review of the building by a different architect (Lushington, better operation and management of the building
2002).
• Assess current occupancy in advance of any further
alteration, refurbishment or new construction (Enright, 2002:
One might also suggest soliciting the views of passers-by as to
41).
whether the building adds interest and quality to the immediate
townscape, as well as the now highly important evaluation for
The recent CABE Briefing (2008b) on Sure Start children's centres
energy efficiency and other environmental impacts.
provides useful insight into some common problems, which might
easily apply to new public libraries, especially those seeking to
The post-occupancy evaluation of a whole building type genre
be family-friendly. That report included as the major areas of
is rare, though in 2002 academic Suzanne Enright undertook
concern:
a survey of all current forms of evaluation of library buildings
in the UK, sadly proving that the exception was the rule: they
• Lack of external identity, poor approach and signage
barely existed (Enright, 2002). Setting out by asking why they
'have been seldom done in a systematic way' she found that too • Insufficient storage throughout - with special problems being
many factors militated against their use, including inertia, lack of found with buggy storage and storage for flexible community
'post-production' funds to carry them out, along with a reluctance spaces
to admit that the project might have got some, possibly a lot, of
• Poor quality spaces for staff (including community and
things wrong. Even The British Library had not then undertaken
training rooms)
any POE, despite being the largest library building project
ever. Nevertheless Enright applauds the various award schemes • Absence of measures to make the building environmentally
which apply to library design (The Library Association's Public sustainable
Library Buildings Award, SCONUL Library Design Award), as well
• Excessive noise from hard surfaces
as architectural awards in general. When Peckham Library won
the Stirling Prize in 2000, this was a major boost to library • Low rating for environmental comfort: bad thermal
architecture, creating waves of public interest which continue to performance or conversely overheating and lack of
this day. cross-ventilation.

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

CABE's 2003 report on Creating Excellent Buildings concluded FIFTEEN QUESTIONS

with a list of 'watch points' which signalled problems ahead
if not addressed. In my experience the following are the ones It is important therefore to ask beforehand - and check
which seem most to have occurred in recent library design and during construction and post-occupancy evaluation - whether
construction: the following questions have been addressed. These are very
general, and not all of them by any means peculiar to library
• Insufficient attention to the local context buildings. But they help focus on the overall public effect of a
completed project, and take account of the concerns of staff,
• Insufficient site supervision on client's behalf
users, managers, revenue budget-holders, and the wider public
• Fit out and design poorly integrated, leading, for example, to interest. For in the end, architecture is the most public of
inefficient use of space arts, and possesses the singular ability to inspire people and
add something lasting to the quality of civic life, but, very
• 'Behind the scenes' spaces overlooked, e.g. inadequate staff
occasionally, can fail to work any kind of magic at all, remaining
areas.
earth-bound and utilitarian, and, at worst, an object of public
and political regret.
From the case studies which illustrate this book emerge a list of
elements which characterise both the most successful new library
buildings (principally in the UK), as well as highlighting those
very same elements as areas where inattention to detail can cause
problems in the years to come.

Figure 11.1 Corner prow of Flushing Library, New York (Photo: Nick Darton)

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 Lessons from the case studies and post-occupancy evaluation

Figure 11.2 Corner prow of Bournemouth Library providing a bold end-stop to the urban edge

Figure 11.3 The library at night: Barking Learning Centre (library & Art Gallery)

168 169
 Contemporary Library Architecture

Townscape The library at night

Does this new building or larger development add character During winter months libraries will be open well into the hours
and interest to the existing townscape, in the same way that of darkness, providing opportunities for adding light, warmth
traditional library architecture often achieved, creating a familiar and colour to the street, becoming a beacon (literal as well as
and much-loved landmark? Can the library or library element be metaphorical) in the town or city. Has the library been designed
recognised as such by its design or the way it announces itself to create this night-time effect? Some years ago the conversion
to the street? This is particularly true of those libraries which of a utilities showroom in Lewisham into a public library was
occupy corner sites - such as in Bournemouth, Canada Water, greatly enhanced by commissioning an artist to create a public
Dagenham, Newcastle, as well as in Flushing, New York - where lighting scheme for the building, which created a memorable
buildings need to provide a focal point and strong visual presence block of colour at night.
to adjacent streets and street junctions.

Figure 11.4 The library at night: The Bridge Arts Centre, Easterhouse, Glasgow (Photo: Andrew
Lee)

Figure 11.5 Lewlsham Library at night

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On the street or set-back? Finding the door

The Idea Store in Whitechapel, like Rotterdam' great central Traditional library architecture often began with a building on
library, is embedded in the life of the main street market, which a plinth or with the ground floor raised above street level, and
surrounds these buildings like a crowded cathedral square. In an impressive flight of public stairs leading to a grand entrance.
Newcastle the ground-floor layout consciously continues the Today's libraries mostly continue the street level, which can create
desire lines and street patterns of the adjacent area, thus problems for some people in identifying the entrance doors,
continuing the public space network of the city. On the other especially wholly glazed doors in a predominantly glazed building,
hand, the library in March, Cambridgeshire, has taken advantage such as are found in the design for the C.L.R. James Library at
of an off-street site to create a welcoming public garden Dalston, or at Boscombe where neither the architecture nor sign age
approach, which adds to a particular sense of escaping from the help distinguish between entrance and exit. What has also been
noise and bustle of the High Street to a calmer place. What is the lost in this transition - which is wholly understandable in terms
intended relation of the library building to the life of the street - of easy physical access and the wider cause of urban democracy
continuation or counterpoint? - has been the idea of the library steps or vestibule as a public

Figure 11.6 The Whltechapel Idea Store IS firmly rooted In the street life of the busy market area

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meeting place, as was famously the case at New York Public tone of the building to its visitors. There are dangers that this
Library and in Birmingham's 1960s Central Library. For climate can become a non-place, or dead space when quiet or empty,
reasons, the entrance to the Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona is and therefore it is vital that sight-lines and/or sign-posted
contained within an overhanging canopy providing shade, as it is connections are made to the main library floors above. There are
at Dagenham, though for different reasons, and where the overhang good reasons for locating short-time Internet access computers
clearly marks the entrance, and is also used to boldly announce that in these spaces, along with 'quick-read' fiction and non-fiction
this is the DAGENHAM UBRARY. The new library in Cirencester does stock, with staff trained to be pro-active in meeting and greeting
so similarly. What thought has been given to the way the library users as and when appropriate. It is interesting to see that while
entrance announces itself to the street? in most libraries cafe provision is located on the ground floor -
almost as a street amenity - there are libraries such as those at
Libraries above ground floor Swiss Cottage and at the Whitechapel Idea Store, where the cafe
is located at the top, as more of a club space or intimate space
In a number of new libraries, the ground floor - predominantly (as would be found, for example, in traditional department store
a double-height space or even grander - acts principally as a cafes, always located on the top floor). How soon on entering is
foyer, information centre, meeting place and cafe, while the main the new visitor told how much is on offer, where it is and how
lending and reading and study areas are located on higher floors. to get there? An unusual design for the public library at Essen
In the small library at Lewes what is essentially a large mezzanine in Germany put the library below ground, lit by a glazed roof
second floor very effectively creates instant visual sight-lines structure. Both entrance and the view from immediately within
between floors. What is going on in the entrance foyer sets the are striking.

Figure 11.7 Bold corner presence of C.L.R. James library, London Borough of Hackney, but entrance poorly eVident

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Figure 11.8 Confused arrangement and sign-posting of entrance and eXit doors at Bascombe library, Bournemouth

Signage and legibility its circulation routes and sight-lines. The POE should not be just
about identifying and correcting faults in the original design,
A beautifully designed and well-furnished library can be but also about ensuring that staff and building managers work to
undermined and its effect negated by poor signage and maintain the original design intentions of the new building. Was
way-finding legibility. All those entering the library for the first there a distinct signage strategy for the library, who designed it,
time should be able to see clearly what is on offer, especially and is it being honoured in everyday use?
where the traditional library desk or reception desk has been
abandoned in favour of satellite information points. Already the Shelving and flooring
bold entrance foyers and clear sight-lines of several new libraries
have been compromised by staff arbitrarily filling the space with The range of flooring used in libraries today is extensive,
poor quality exhibition stands, free-standing tables of assorted surprisingly so given the acoustic concerns which arise in this
types with leaflets or second-hand books for sale, corporate kind of public building. In Barcelona terrazzo tiles are used
displays, and half-empty wheel-in shelving. In the signing off throughout. In Canada Water, parquet flooring is employed at
process there should be some compact between designers and ground level, and multi-coloured carpet tiles on the two upper
library managers with regard to maintaining the integrity of the floors. The Idea Store in Whitechapel uses studded bright red
design, including a respect for its materials, and especially for rubberised flooring, while at Clapham Library a very fine grain

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Figure 11.9 The amphitheatre stairs outside Birmingham Central Library - a popular meeting place

Figure 11.10 Clear, well sign-posted entrance to the Library, Cirencester, new extension opened In 2008

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Figure 11.11 Principal first floor library area at Bournemouth Library

Figure 11.12 Good connectivity between ground and first floors of Lewes library

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Figure 11.13 Bright glazed entrance vestibule to underground library at Essen In Germany

Figure 11.14 Interior of public library, Essen, Germany

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 Lessons from the case studies and post-occupancy evaluation

Figure 11.15 Oval atrium with ceremonial staircase at Winchester Discovery Centre with excellent slgnage of shelving

parquet flooring is used, chosen so that its minimal patterning development are seen as a continuous and related set of activities
does not create a counter-grid to the wider design. The children's (with one set of activities setting the tone for the other). The
areas in many libraries employ different floor-coverings. Similar addition of study suites, seminar rooms, and homework centres,
considerations apply to the shelving to be used, one of the most all add to this mix, though they also carry dangers of spatial
important decisions of all, but too often left as an afterthought. compartmentalisation. How best to integrate browsing, reading,
Aesthetics, durability and acoustic qualities all have to be quiet study and computer use? When is a library side-room open
balanced in choosing the floor coverings of a heavily used or closed, available for public or private use, and how can other
building such as a public library. What are the priorities in the library users tell?
choice of flooring materials and shelving - aesthetic, acoustic,
sustainable, long-lasting? At what stage in the design are these A meeting place (with coffee)
vital decisions made?
Libraries are now meeting places as well as study spaces and
A learning environment book-borrowing services. When users are asked what ancillary
facilities they want to see in a new library, toilets and coffee
The public library is as much a learning environment as it is a shops are high priorities. The library cafe is now almost a
leisure centre or multi-media lending service. There is much to be distinctive genre of urban space, combining as it does proximity
said for integrating the book-stock, reading areas, with computer to reading and study, while offering a chance to meet fellow
terminals and study spaces, so that learning, leisure and personal library users. Obviously a critical mass of users is needed to

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Figure 11.16 Group Study Room at Surrey University Library: maximum transparency

Figure 11.17 Forest Gate interior

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 Lessons from the case studies and post-occupancy evaluation

sustain a coffee bar commercially, and this can be a problem in Children should love libraries
some places. What does not work, however, is to substitute cafe
space with vending machines, reducing the library to a filling The public library is a special place for children, and the modern
station or a sports centre, another last redoubt of absentee library is becoming an even more important place for teenagers
municipal provision at its worst. Even a simple domestic coffee and young people. This makes it essential that the whole library
machine, as is found in some small community libraries, is should be child-friendly, not just the children's section. Today's
preferable to a vending machine. It is clear at the Aberdeen children are often as media-savvy and computer-literate as the
and Surrey university campuses that the library cafe is a crucial library staff themselves, and for them the whole building and its
meeting place both during the day and at night, and acts as facilities - not just the children's section - should provide that
a common ground for students from many disciplines, thus special place in the city where they are fully enfranchised citizens
helping overcome the compartmentalisation of subject areas. and participants in life. In the best of the new libraries this is
The positioning of cafe facilities is a key decision in the library already evident, providing hope for the future that the public
plan: at what stage in the design is it being considered as a library remains a familiar but special place in an ever-changing
substantive concern? and commercialised world. Are the needs of children and young
people central to the library design brief, and who is representing
Quiet to loud (and back again) their interests at the design stage?

Although traditionally places of silent reading, modern libraries Views out to the world
also serve many other functions today, and careful design can
be used to ensure that different spaces allow different sound The classic design of the Victorian or Edwardian public library
levels without disturbing adjacent areas. Cafes, meeting rooms, suggested entry into a closed world, and of separation from the
children's areas, photocopier machines and computer suites are life of the street and commerce. High shelves and high windows
all gathering places where people need to talk and the spatial effectively shielded those inside from the outside world and thus
configuration of the library should be designed accordingly. This became a place of retreat or sanctuary (including for some the
is especially the case where atria, light-wells or open voids are possibility of a good sleep in a safe berth). But this was true
used in the design, increasing sight-lines and visual connectivity, of much public architecture until the arrival of new materials
but also potentially allowing sound to travel - or even become and a modernist aesthetic which promoted transparency and the
amplified - from one part of the building to another. Thus the interplay between indoor and outdoor spaces. The wonderful
new library should not on ly provide a range of different spaces modernist circular library at Ewell in Surrey allows views onto
but also a range of different library 'experiences', both individual parkland in most directions, including attractive terracing for
and collective, private and sociable, educational and recreational. sitting outside for those library users who so wish. Already a
What is the best acoustic advice available to add into these favourite space of library users are the window armchairs at
problems of good and bad adjacencies? the Canada Water Library, overlooking the ruffled and glinting
waters of the former docks. It is a great thing for a town or city
Colour schemes and interior design at night for passers-by to see people reading and studying in
large numbers in a public space which they are also entitled to
Post-modern architecture celebrated colour and shape to an use. How can the need for strong visual connections between
almost exaggerated degree, and some library architects remain the library interior and the world outside be enhanced, without
committed to creating a more playful effect in public buildings, creating a goldfish bowl effect, or compromising a sense of
none more especially than in the children's area. Internal steel sanctuary?
columns no longer look intrusive if painted a bright red or cobalt
blue, and lime green and pink armchairs can create a sense of Quality of staff provision
luxury and fun for a younger generation who have grown up in
a multi-media, consumer world of retailing and advertising. As The new model library is now managed with different objectives
several architects interviewed for this study observed, however, and outcomes in mind to the traditional library, and staff
the books themselves and the people reading them provide roles have also had to change, which has not always been a
plenty of colour - sometimes enough. They see the colour palette comfortable process. Library staff are no longer 'behind the desk'
of interior design as providing a neutral setting, with minor but often 'on the shop-floor', being more pro-active in dealing
outbursts of colour in the free-standing furniture. Who is making with users, young and old. The need for staff to retire somewhere
the key decisions about the colour scheme, and on what grounds? quiet during tea-breaks and lunch-breaks is important, but in the

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Figure 11.18 Cafe at the Library, Huntingdon Library, Cambridgeshire

Figure 11.19 Cafe and browsing area at Newcastle Central Library

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 Lessons from the case studies and post-occupancy evaluation

Figure 11.20 Ground floor foyer and cafe area at Aberdeen University Library

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

past this has often been in spaces which have been improvised to ask that their design ambitions are respected in the everyday
to provide tea-making and rest-room facilities, sometimes in management and maintenance of the building and its interior. In
inappropriate rooms and redundant stock-rooms. If library staff the case of some libraries visited, the bold and impressive effects
are to be proud of the new buildings they are now working in, achieved in design have already been seriously compromised
then those spaces dedicated to their own working and resting by poor maintenance, inappropriate and amateurish signage,
conditions should share the same quality of design as the rest of and the cluttering up of public spaces with random items of
the building. How much are staff needs taken into account in the furniture, shelving, display cabinets and display stands, and other
design process, and how are their views represented? moveable items of kit. This invariably undermines the purpose
of what the new building was intended to achieve: a dignified
Maintenance and cleaning and modern setting that is memorable and a pleasure to use.
Is there an agreement which commits the library maintenance
The post-occupancy evaluation should be a two-way process. and management regime to respecting the original architectural
Though most attention will be paid to whether the intentions and design vision, or which supports a continuing relationship
of the architects and designers have been realised - and the between architects and clients for a reasonable period after
degree to which these have fulfilled the requirements of the handover?
client and the building's users - in turn architects have a right

Figure 11.21 Informal meeting area for library users and local voluntary groups at The Bridge Arts Centre, Easterhouse, Glasgow

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Figure 11.22 Colour can create a sense of luxury and fun: Cardiff Central Library

Figure 11.23 Transparency and Interplay between Indoor and outdoor spaces at Norwich Forum Library

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Figure 11.24 Restored spiral staircase at SWISS Cottage library

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Figure 11.25 Open-plan and approachable staff area at Cranfield University library

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CHAPTER 12

Twenty-first century
libraries: changing forms,
changing functions
Do Libraries have a future? There is no doubt they do, as the current wave of
Library-building across the world confirms. However, new designs for Libraries will
be much more site-specific in their future configurations, and their programme
will be adapted to meet local social and demographic circumstances, along with
the likelihood of more shared or co-located facilities and funding partners. In
the USA the grand city Library has become a focal point of urban renewal, and
the same is true in the UK. These new Libraries are no longer service-stations but
destination buildings in their own right, and require architectural imagination to
succeed. In an otherwise highly commerciaLised urban centre, the public Library
acts as a beacon of civility and will be increasingly valued as such.

Today people question whether libraries still have a future. This medium-sized town in the UK might provide up to 20 or more
is the wrong question. More pertinent is to ask what kind of branch libraries in addition to a central library, these are times
libraries are needed in tomorrow's world. This is the view of Stuart of contraction or rationalisation. Even so, it is important to
Hill, one of the project architects for schmidt/hammer/lassen's remember that since 1964 the provision of a 'comprehensive
Aberdeen University Library, who has phrased the issue thus: 'One and efficient' library service has been - and remains - a local
of the questions we were asked before we finalised the design authority obligation imposed by parliament. It is also still the
was: why build a new library at all in this day and age? The case that, as library historian Alistair Black has pointed out,
answer is: we've been helping to build a new type of library: there are three times as many public libraries in the UK as there
are McDonald's food outlets. This public network remains at the
The days of the Carnegie and Passmore Edwards Free Public heart of Britain's cultural infrastructure.
Libraries, when it was envisaged that every town should have
at least one public library and that they would most likely be The reasons for the slimming down of a number of local authority
built to the same design and scale, irrespective of local need branch networks are not all spurious. Book loans are down, visitor
or particularities of interest, are gone. So too are the social figures in many branch libraries are in decline, the Internet and
and political conditions of post-war British local government, e-books are providing a home-based, downloaded alternative to
where every elected councillor wanted a library in his or carrying and fetching real books from a distant building. What is
her own electoral ward as a matter of right. The branch or being lost, however, is the small community library as a meeting
community library is, as we have seen, in retreat. After a place, particularly for those with young children, or the elderly,
century of expansion during which a typical London borough or for whom frequent visits to their local library are combined with

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sometimes daily shopping trips by foot or on public transport as a As such they are becoming 'destination buildings': places
way of keeping in touch with the world. For such reasons, in some attractive in their own right, where visitors can browse, have a
areas, rather than closing small branch libraries, local authorities coffee, enjoy a talk by a visiting writer or book illustrator, take
are handing them over to management by a community trust, or children, or spend hours in the family history archive. They are
some such other not-for-profit arrangement, in which volunteer places to visit speculatively, which was not always the case with
help is likely to playa significant role. the formal libraries of the past. Within such terms the public
library becomes a 'third place', somewhere free and open to all,
Yet there is also a counter-movement at work, and has been between home and work, providing a breathing space in the
for some time, proclaiming the need for a renewed civic culture modern urban terrain. Non-commercial and non-judgmental,
to arrest the drift to a wholly individualised, retail-based and public libraries are going to become even more important in
digitised urbanity. Might there be more to life than shopping? the future as more people live alone, whether by choice or
Can we envisage or allow a world without libraries? Bob demographic circumstance. In the transition, in Morten Schmidt's
Usherwood (2007) cites the dystopian novelist, J.G. Ballard, on phrase, 'from collection to connection', libraries are negotiating a
this matter, when Ballard describes a fictionalised modern London new role in society. Schmidt has also enjoined librarians to ensure
development in his 2006 novel, Kingdom Come, as, that every visit must not be a repetitive experience but a new
experience, and here the skills of management and programming
a place where it was impossible to borrow a book, attend are vital, now that the spaces have been loosened up.
a concert, say a prayer, consult a parish register or
give to charity. In short, the town was an end state of They are also buildings which embody public values in the way
consumerism. that Dutch architect Wiel Arets described: a place where one can
be a private individual in a collective setting, combining the best
There are already places like this in Britain unfortunately, of both worlds. It is important, furthermore, to remember that
especially in large new residential developments or town 'there is no typical library user any more', if there ever actually
extensions, many devoid of any educational or cultural was. The conventional mythologies about libraries - as either
infrastructure, or even viable public transport connections. People settings for the leavening of working class life and culture, or
are now realising, with some trepidation, that the public goods as redoubts of the aspiring middle class and their children - are
which David Marquand wrote about so eloquently, and whose today redundant. They celebrate and enable individual choice
views were cited at the beginning of this book, are under grave and personal development within the context of a wider public
threat from the omnipresent cult of marketisation, now embraced good. It is surely right that libraries embrace the value of cultural
by the main political parties at national level. This counter- pluralism, offering both the popular and the specialist texts,
movement at local level takes the form of the commissioning genre fiction as well as avant-garde literature, Hollywood films as
of new museums, new public spaces and, of course, new public well as wildlife documentaries. Remember, too, that the age of
libraries - all designed to restore balance to town centre life, the book is not over. Far from it. According to Nielsen Books in
providing amenities and facilities which cater for everybody, the UK, 'The number of titles published over the last 10 years has
irrespective of wealth or lifestyle. grown steadily with a peak in 2009: In 2011, 149,800 different
titles were published in Britain, according to the company which
Shannon Mattern has already pointed out how it is the public specialises in publishing statistics (Nielsen, 2012). Most of
library which holds centre-stage in programmes of urban renewal these will find their way into libraries, and library users will find
in the USA today, and the same is now true in Britain. But their way to them, by design or accident. This is the historic
these new libraries are no longer financed and constructed to rendezvous of reader and writer in the serendipitous world of
a pre-determined pattern. In almost all of the case studies library browsing.
provided in this book, it has been a bespoke programme of
fund-raising, partnership-working and negotiated design which
has been undertaken, so that every library is different, in scale,
shape, design and programme, all tailored to a specific set of THE ARCHITECTURE OF DEMOCRACY
local circumstances and conditions, but each seeking to occupy
a special place in the twenty-first century townscape. These are Has this anything to do with architecture? Surely it does. Good
more in the 'long life, loose fit' architectural tradition: flexible design embodies values above and beyond aesthetics or social
spaces that can accommodate change as well as a widening function. A low-ceilinged room, harshly lit by fluorescent lighting,
variety of activities - unlike the formally arranged Victorian and containing row upon row of cheap steel shelving jammed
library with its strictly prescribed spaces and activities. tight with books, effectively denies the library user or staff

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member status or respect. This is welfare architecture and while library design, possibly for all time. And the same may be also
cheap - though bad design is not necessarily cheaper - such said of Aalto's Viipuri Library.
a strategy is counter-productive. Bold, welcoming design can
bring in people who have never thought of using libraries before, The energetic and utopian designs in the 1960s for Swiss
sometimes put off by the slightly intimidating institutional Cottage Library, by Sir Basil Spence, or Bourne Hall Library by
appearance of some library buildings. A recent national survey A.G. Sheppard Fidler and Associates have not only lasted, but
of non-users of libraries concluded that, 'For non-users, negative still feel generous and gracious inside, and convey a very strong
perceptions of libraries are fairly entrenched and there is a strong sense of the power of the library building to change lives, and
sense that libraries "are not for me'" (MLA, 2010b). represent some of the brightest, unalloyed hopes of modernism.
The architect's vision should be based on the very principle
We know, however, that attractive buildings can win over hearts that space is an agent of change. The quality of space directly
and minds. Architecture has the power to alter perceptions, affects the experience and aspirations of its users. Library space
sometimes almost effortlessly so. Yet it also needs to support is particularly important in this regard. It also allows people
the cultural values embodied in what public libraries offer to to feel that they are connected to a wider polis or democratic
the world, historically as well as now. Central to this ideal is the community, irrespective of their individual circumstances.
concept of the library building as a place and a space for all,
embodying a belief in the power of knowledge and education to For young people this is especially important. Growing up in
allow individual capacities and opportunities to flourish, free of a consumer society, where lifestyles and social connections
restriction and impartially provided. are shaped by brands and on-line social networks, rather than
traditional political or cultural affiliations, public libraries are
Nowhere in my experience was this unique quality of the public places where an older social ethos survives. What is encouraging
library more evident than in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. It was about the new libraries, wherever they are being built, is that
the one institution that was above sectarian, political or religious they have become gathering places for young people - places
affiliations, and open to all - and it was valued and used as such. where a new generation can find a respect and an attention often
This impartial ethos is still at work, even in the quietest of towns denied them elsewhere in the public domain. Even so, young
and cities, as much as it has been in war lones. As we have seen people live in a culture of fast and constant change, and the
throughout history, attacks on library buildings and their contents library programme has to keep up with technological and cultural
are seen as attacks on the very essence of what stops societies innovation. Many of them are directly engaged in some form of
descending into intolerance and communitarian division. further or higher education, or are working for themselves in
the cultural industries, where keeping in touch with news and
So we should take heart from the fact that many of the new information networks is vital. In the modern city learning is now
libraries discussed in this book have been designed by some of a moveable feast, and it is quite astonishing sometimes to see a
the most inventive architectural practices today. The public library library full of young people at their laptops, or at the banks of
is moving into a new era of bespoke and original design, and has PCs provided, wholly absorbed in their own virtual worlds. They
become a building type that many architects and designers aspire may be reading books, studying online, watching television or
to work on, as it becomes the icon of a new kind of setting for listening to music, but the cultural resources available to them
civic democracy and public value. The new library is no longer are wider than those accessible to any generation before.
modelled on prototypes taken from a standard neo-Gothic pattern
book, nor is it just one element amongst many in 'design-and- Penny-pinching politicians also need to be constantly reminded
build' developer-led regeneration programmes. It is sui generis, that public libraries are also places of work. More and more of the
it has to create a sense of occasion, and it has to be adaptable young people working at the PCs or on their laptops in today's
in order to survive an unknown cultural future. Though many academic and public libraries are adding value to society through
elements of these new buildings are familiar to type, they have their studies or productive and creative endeavours. For many
been interpreted in new ways: the inviting public entrance, the writers, poets, philosophers, engineers, web-designers, bloggers,
circular reading room, the study carrels and quiet areas, the fashion-designers, musicians and artists, the public library is now
children's library, the high ceilings and the clerestory windows, 'the office' where they check-in daily to keep up with things and
the light-wells and roof-lanterns. All of these established library escape the confines of the private study or shared house.
elements can still be detected in new configurations. When
interviewed, architects Christophe Egret and Piers Gough both What is undeniable is that for young people, architecture and
mentioned to me Asplund's great Stockholm City Library as being design figure large in their lives. All the electronic devices they
an inspiration for themselves and for all those interested in use have been designed with style and precision, as have the

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 Twenty-first century libraries: changing forms, changing functions

clothes they wear, the shops they frequent, the films they watch and yet which remains an abiding symbol of civility and the
and the magazines they read. Their visual world is saturated with democratic intellect. Whether our nineteenth century forebears
design. Today's generation have grown up in an era of consumer would recognise these twenty-first century libraries at first
wealth, and are impatient with municipalism and functionalism: sight may be questionable - but once inside they would surely
they are semiologists avant la lettre. They are walking style critics feel recognisably at home. The outside world is left behind and
and want to visit or inhabit buildings which provide status and a a space is created inside that is familiar across the ages - a
sense of glamour to their users. combination of books, tables and chairs, private and public areas,
all imbued with a general atmosphere of individual endeavour.
In this overview of new libraries, what has come across quite The world inside the library has changed much less than the world
clearly is the renewed architectural interest in this most singular outside it. Which is why the architect has so much to cherish,
and inclusive of public buildings, which has endured through develop and re-interpret rather than invent anew. This is the
many different historical upheavals and social catastrophes, challenge of library design in the twenty-first century.

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192 193
Further
acknowledgements

In addition, the following people helped bring the project to Brian Gambles, Assistant Director - Culture, Directorate of
fruition: Environment & Culture, Library & Archive Services, Birmingham
City Council
Zoinul Abidin, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Piers Gough, CZWG Architects
John Allan, Avanti Architects John Harrington, Head of Information Services, King's Norton
Chris Banks, University Librarian & Director, Library, Special Library, Cranfield University
Collections & Museums, University of Aberdeen Richard Hawkins, CIUP Library
Sheri Besford, BDP Architects Gareth Hoskins, Gareth Hoskins Architects
Steve Beasant, Library Design Consultant, Demco Interiors Yvonne Irvine, ArchitecturePLB
Alistair Black, Graduate School of Library & Information Services, Oliver Key, University of Surrey Library
University of Illinois Lucas Lawrence, Studio Egret West
Medi Bernard, Services and Strategy Manager, Bournemouth Martin Lewis, University of Sheffield
Libraries, Information, Culture & Community Learning Josep Llinas, Josep Llinas Carmona, Barcelona
Adam Blacker, BDP Architects Nick Lomax, Managing Director, LCE Architects
Gerald Blaikie, www.scotcities.com Gayle Mault, Foster + Partners
Michelle Brennan, RMJM Architects Kate Millin, Asst Director, Libraries, Archives & Adult Learning,
Graham Brown, Bournemouth Libraries, Information, Culture & Dudley Council
Community Learning Nathaniel Moore, Hopkins Architects
Jane Bushell, Team Leader & Assistant Library Manager, London Anna Motture, CZWG Architects
Borough Hammersmith & Fulham Dawn Nash, Project Manager, Development Team, Cambridgeshire
Leonore Charlton, library design consultant Libraries, Archives & Information
Chris Connolly, community activist Michaela Newman, Royal London Borough of Kingston Upon
Richard Cowley, BDP Thames
Karen Cunningham, Head of Libraries & Cultural Venues, Glasgow Gemma Noakes, Studio Egret West
Life Graeme Pick, Centre Manager, Winchester Discovery Centre
Justin De Syllas, Avanti Architects Peter Reed, Epsom and Ewell Local & Family History Centre
Sergio Dogliani, Deputy Head, Whitechapel Idea Store Justine Rochester, Facilities Manager, Kier Services Limited,
Kevin Duff, Birmingham City Council Brighton
Tony Durcan, Newcastle City Council Ann Rossiter, SCONUL
Brian Edwards, Emeritus Professor, Edinburgh College of Art Kate Rouse, Jubilee and Central Services Manager, Brighton &
Christophe Egret, Studio Egret West Hove Council
David Fay, Newcastle City Council Jane Savidge, Director of Library and Learning Support Services,
Richard Flisher, CPMG Architects University of Surrey
Angela Foster, Newcastle City Council Mike Skilton, Architecture PLB
Linda Foster, Area Manager, Library Services, London Borough of Roger Subira, Josep Llinas Carmona, Barcelona
Southwark Lee Taylor, Ryder Architecture

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

Vashti Thorne, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Rupert Wheeler, mackenzie wheeler
Catherine Tranmer, Architecture Information Consultant Adrian Whittle, Head of Libraries, London Borough of Southwark
Bob Usherwood, Emeritus Professor of Librarianship, University of Valerie Wormald, mackenzie wheeler
Sheffield Masha Zrncic, Consortium of the Centre De Cultura Contemporimia
Elizabeth Walker, Bennetts Associates De Barcelona
Jon Ward, London Borough of Sutton Library Services

194 195
Index

Aberdeen, university library 8, 10, 13, 27, 54, 82, 146-149, 179, cafes in libraries (other than in case studies) 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 20,
181, 186 21, 24,48,69, 73, 75, 80, 82, 86, 91, 94-96, 172, lll-181
academic libraries 11, 94 Cambourne, public library 83, 85
agora 19, 24, 54 campus libraries 8, 13
Amsterdam, life and culture 11, 56; city library 13, 55, 69, 99 Canada Water, public library 13, 21, 36, 37, 46, 47, 56, 67, ll,
Apeldoorn, library and cultural centre 73, 74, 75 80, 82, 83, 92, 95, 96, 114-117, 170, 173, 179
architecture, competitions 26, 65, 66-68, 89, 114, 130, 146, 150, Cardiff, city library 69, 79, 81, 95, 99, 165, 183
159; and democracy 4, 5, 19, 49, 50, 54, 188, 189; library cathedrals, libraries and relationship to 32-34
as building type 32, 38,42,49, 135, 167, 188; modernism Carnegie Libraries 49, 52, 63, 89, 186
33, 49, 50, 188; neo-classical13, 14, 32, 34, 42, 43, 49; car parking, provision for 7, 73, 76, 125, 144
signature 61; symbolic value 19, 32, 33, 41, 45, 50, 52, 56, children, libraries for 88, 98-101; infantilisation of design 98,
83 99, 100; child protection issues 41, 98, 101, 130; story-telling
archives 16, 39, 40, 41, 120, 127, 146 sessions 41, 123
ark, library as 33, 36, 114 circular plan in building type (other than in case studies) 19,42,
art galleries in libraries 11, 69, 70, 73, 75, 83, 86, 87, 95, 121, 45-48, 188
169 circulation 13, 14, 52, 62, 81, 88, 167, 173
atrium 14, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 46, 48, 81, 83, 86, 91, 95, 109, citizenship, libraries and 33, 42, 98
112, 115, 119, 132, 134, 146, 147,149, 150, 151, 153, III Clapham, public library 13, 21, 22, 24-25, 46, 66, 83, 98, 173
collective and public memory, libraries as embodying 33, 37, 40
Barcelona, Jaume Fuster Library 12, 38, ll, 79, 93, 94, 100, co-location, principle of 69, 83, 86; with health centres 22, 24,
104-106,172,173 46, 83, 85, 86; with housing 24, 83, 84, 118; with registry
Barking, learning centre and library 82, 86, 169 office 94
Belfast, Linen Hall Library 40 community libraries 21, 179
Berlin, state library 21, 91 computer suites (other than in case studies) 13, 14, 17, 179
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris 8 consultation (other than in case studies) 68, 73-74
Birmingham Central Library (1974) 15, 16, 43 Copenhagen, Krystalgade Library 26
Birmingham, new Library of Birmingham (2013) 11, 14, 15-18, Copenhagen, The Royal Danish National Library ('The Black
29, 33, 45, 53, 58, 62, 66, 73, 80, 174 Diamond') 37, 38, 69, 83, 146
bookshelves and book-stacks 14, 65, 94, 122, 144, 151 Cranfield University, King's Norton Library 13, 34, 36, 55, 66, 68,
bookshops and libraries 19, 79 83, 94, 150-152, 185
Boscombe, public library 39, 83, 87, 171, 173
Bourne Hall Library, Ewell, Surrey 46, 120-121, 188 Dagenham, public library 21, 22, 43, 69, ll, 83, 92, 93,
Bournemouth, public library 8,67,69, ll, 84, 86, 95, 107-110, 118-119,170,172
169, 170 Dalston, C.L.R. James Library 21, 22, 83, 171
BREEAM rating 25, 62, 63, 86, 111, 147, 159 deep plan 14, 26, 63, 83
Brighton Jubilee Library 2,8,11,63,67,69,83,90,95,101, Delft, university library 13, 63, 83
111-114 design (other than in case studies), the design brief 33,53,62,
British Library 8, 9, 36, 44, 45, 63, 82, 130, 167 63, 64, 66, 67, 69, ll, 179; use of colour 26,55,63,81, 82,
branch libraries 21, 39, 41, 76, 79, 186, 187 98, 99, 100, 120, 170, 173, 179, 183; inclusive design 62;
interior design 53, 63, 65, 70, 80, 99, 179
CABE 62, 63, 64, 66, 100, 130, 167, 168 destruction of libraries 39

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 Contemporary Library Architecture

disability access 14, 62, 66, 101 mezzanine floors 14, 21, 83, 172
Discovery Centre, Winchester 84, 87, 95, 96, 97, 101, 143-145 MUnster, city library 46, 52, 53
domes, as part of library building type 14, 19, 34, 45-46, 48, 83,
90 Newcastle, public library 11, 28, 66, 69, 73, 79, 83, 130-133,
170, 171, 180
education, higher 4, 8, 10, 61, 188 new media formats 38, 69, 88, 93-94
elevators and lifts (other than in case studies) 7, 14, 26, 27,62, New York Public Library 10,37,43,172
81,94 noise 28, 40, 86, 167, 171
Enfield, public library and new extension 21, 23, 49, 81 Norwich Millennium Library 11, 12, 13, 29,43,48,56,69, 79,
English Heritage 16 81, 91, 94, 95, 134-138, 183
entrances (other than in case studies) 2, 14,31, 74, 77, 90, 95,
9697, 167; basement 8; doors 36, 42, 171-174, 176; and opening hours 88, 90, 94, 95
facades 13, 34, 43, 49, 188; hall 39, 80, 83; plinths 8, 171;
steps 14, 34, 42, 43, 45, 62 171 Passmore Edwards Libraries 31, 49, 186
escalators 8, 14, 26, 27, 81 Peckham, public library 7, 13, 43, 44, 50, 94, 100, 167
performance spaces 54, 72, 76, 80, 84, 86, 95, 96
flooring 66, 82, 173, 177 planning agreement 64, 67, 76, 77
Flushing, Queens, New York, public library 26, 168, 170 pop-up library 63, 64, 65
funding and funding partners 25, 63, 67, 68, 76, 77, 86, 186 post-occupancy evaluation 166-185
furniture 14, 41, 62, 66, 179, 182 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) 63, 66, 67
project steering group 65-66
Glasgow, The Bridge Arts Centre and Library 122-124,170,182
Glasgow, The Mitchell Library 19-20, 41 reading groups, provision for accommodating 41, 95, 99
glazing, darkened 36; public transparency 11, 48, 77, 81, 83, 99; reading rooms, in traditional library architecture 4, 33, 34, 39,
stained glass 32, 37 41, 42, 44, 45, 48, 49, 79, 80, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 188
Rotterdam, city library 28, 79, 171
Hook and Chessington, public library 84, 125-126 rotunda, as traditional library element 14, 44, 45, 46
hubs and zones 14, 69
Huntingdon, public library and archives 67, 73, 76, 83, 91, scenario planning 11-13
127-129,180 Seattle Public Library 4, 5-7, 11, 13, 21, 46, 63, 83, 93, 95
security 17, 39, 40, 61, 95, 101
icons, public buildings as 4, 5 self-service technology 14, 94, 95
ICT (information and communications technology) 19, 27, 28, 34, Seven Kings, public library 65
38, 41, 42, 45, 52, 64, 69, 91, 99 shallow plan 14
Idea Store, Whitechapelll, 69, 80, 92, 95-96, 139-142, 167, Sheffield Information Commons, university library 83, 94, 153-155
171, 172, 173 Sheffield Western Bank Library, university library 82, 156-159
inscription, as part of library design 4, 36 Shepherd's Bush, public library 11, 21, 23, 56, 77-78, 91, 95, 96,
101
lighting, artificial 14, 38, 63; clerestory 14, 34, 83, 188; daylight signage and legibility 43, 62, 88, 93-94, 166, 167, 171, 173,
and natural 14, 26, 61, 63, 8; night-time 15, 83, 124, 169, 177, 182
170, 179; roof-lighting 83, 99; solar chimneys 14 silence, library as a place of 14, 38, 40, 48
life-cycle costings 63-64, 66, 82 space, defensive 14; domestic 41, 80, 99; exhibition 21, 32, 53,
living room in the city 4, 14, 26, 27, 64, 79-81 54, 79, 84, 88, 91, 95, 96, 173; networked 14; open-plan 14,
location 61, 64, 76-79, 80, 100, 166 26, 52, 88, 89, 185; public 4, 5, 8, 19, 28, 33, 43, 54, 55, 56,
LSE, university library 47 96, 100, 101, 171, 179, 182, 187; sanctuary 11, 13, 27,40,
64, 81, 179; shared 14, 99; universal 45, 63
maintenance programmes 61, 63, 64, 82, 86, 166, 182 staff roles and facilities (other than in case studies), key role in
Malmo Library 13, 83 consultation of design 25, 55, 61, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 90,
March, Cambridgeshire, public library 71-73,83,94,96,171 99, 167; public presence and satellite work-stations 28, 81,
meeting rooms 62, 88, 95-96, 179 95, 101, 172, 187; back-office facilities 96, 166, 168, 179-182
memorial, libraries as memorial buildings 37, 39 staircases, ceremonial 21, 34, 35, 36, 91, 177; spiral 46, 184

196 197
 Index

stock sections, lending library 11, 88, 90, 91, 94, 95, 101, 117, traditional library architecture, general schema 14
172; reference library 10, 40, 41, 48, 88, 91, 93, 101
Stockholm, city library 34, 45, 46, 83, 188 University of Surrey, library and learning centre 159-163, 178,
storage, buggy space 101, 167; public lockers 73, 80, 101 179
Stratford, London, public library 54, 79, 80 Uppsala, public library 50, 80
study carrels 14, 188 urban regeneration, library role in 5, 25, 43, 76, 186
Swiss Cottage, London, public library 34, 35, 51, 82, 95, 172, Utrecht, university library 55, 56, 68
184, 188
ventilation, air-conditioning 14; natural 167
third place, library as a space between home and work 11, 12, Viipuri, public library 55, 83, 90, 99, 188
187
toilets 62, 73, 79, 88, 94, 95, 101, 177 wayfinding 88, 93-94, 166, 173
townscape setting 54, 56, 79, 83, 89, 167, 170, 187 Wi-fi provision 48, 91, 93

196 197