john knight
signman
Here is the design for the new library, the biggest in the country.
Courtesy of Birmingham City Council.
Courtesy of Birmingham City Council.
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New Birmingham library plans
- Thread starter john knight
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lencops
gone but not forgotten
It is a monstrosity, i love reading, i love books but the cost of this library is obscene and will be in the words of Prince Charles "A carbuncle on the face of the world", it should be scaled down drastically, and were is the money coming from?, of course out of the pockets of hard pressed council tax payers. Len.
A
Ann B
Guest
That's where the missing piece of Lego went to! I think it's just awful.
And the council have just completed a review of the local libraries, resulting in conflicting reports. Labour reckon the council will be closing libraries, while the Libs say they are commited to improving them. Sheldon will get a new mini library. Another report says they will be moving some of the books out of the libraries and into schools and centres.
Ann
And the council have just completed a review of the local libraries, resulting in conflicting reports. Labour reckon the council will be closing libraries, while the Libs say they are commited to improving them. Sheldon will get a new mini library. Another report says they will be moving some of the books out of the libraries and into schools and centres.
Ann
Paul Higgins
master brummie
I agree with the consensus. It is horrible. And why does the old ‘new’ library need replacing? There may be an issue of storage space but I suspect the concrete it is built out of is nearing the end of its life. I am sure the people of Birmingham wouldn’t mind the extra cost of a good solid stone building that will stand the test of time and blend in rather than stand out like a shoe-box gone wrong or a half-built greenhouse.
Dolphie
master brummie
That was my first thought too.
mike jenks
master brummie
hi
Agree with Lencops this is a monstrous waste of Public money
in the worst period when public money should be used to help
people.
If this were Mike Whitby's business would he be able to borrow
this ammount from the Banks. What are the lending on whats
the return on Capital.
Another thing is this guestimate of £190 Million. These type
of projects are known in the Industry has Black hole projects.
Normal overruns are around 3 to 4 times the cost.
I alway's get nervous when public money is being chucked
around like confetti by Local Officials who are elected to
spend our money wisely.
Whats going to happen to the exiting site in the downturn
its an enormous area to demolish. It took ages and ages to
build what we have its around 10 years to complete these
nonsensical pipe dreams.
A simple repair to the existing frontage with some decorating
inside should suffice till things improove.
Mike Jenks
Agree with Lencops this is a monstrous waste of Public money
in the worst period when public money should be used to help
people.
If this were Mike Whitby's business would he be able to borrow
this ammount from the Banks. What are the lending on whats
the return on Capital.
Another thing is this guestimate of £190 Million. These type
of projects are known in the Industry has Black hole projects.
Normal overruns are around 3 to 4 times the cost.
I alway's get nervous when public money is being chucked
around like confetti by Local Officials who are elected to
spend our money wisely.
Whats going to happen to the exiting site in the downturn
its an enormous area to demolish. It took ages and ages to
build what we have its around 10 years to complete these
nonsensical pipe dreams.
A simple repair to the existing frontage with some decorating
inside should suffice till things improove.
Mike Jenks
Bojalu
master brummie
New Birmingham Library design
Check out the plans for the new Birmingham Central Library and Archives that will be linked to the Rep in Broad Street.
www.birmingham.gov.uk ( at present link is on the front page)
It will be interesting to find out others peoples opinions of the design.
Bo
Check out the plans for the new Birmingham Central Library and Archives that will be linked to the Rep in Broad Street.
www.birmingham.gov.uk ( at present link is on the front page)
It will be interesting to find out others peoples opinions of the design.
Bo
Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
I'm a big lover of modern architecture, but that is a load of shhhh, no I won't say it.:shh:
I hope it is a wind up, with the name of the architects being "Mecanoo"
I hope it is a wind up, with the name of the architects being "Mecanoo"
cookie273uk
master brummie
What a horrendous monstrosity, I thought Selfridges was bad enough, but this !!!!!
Why didn't they restore the origanal old library years ago, it could have been renovated and modernised internally, now there was a beautiful old building
Why didn't they restore the origanal old library years ago, it could have been renovated and modernised internally, now there was a beautiful old building
john knight
signman
Have just been onto the architects website, they have the right name nearly - MECANOO.
Why is it we never seem to get anyone from this country designing these things, surely they can't all be that bad.
A glass stucture covered in delicate lace metal filigree to reflect the City's
past metal trade is how they describe it.
I have mixed feelings about it, it looks ok in their night time visuals, but what will it look like on a dull November morning ?.
I nicked another view from their website.
Why is it we never seem to get anyone from this country designing these things, surely they can't all be that bad.
A glass stucture covered in delicate lace metal filigree to reflect the City's
past metal trade is how they describe it.
I have mixed feelings about it, it looks ok in their night time visuals, but what will it look like on a dull November morning ?.
I nicked another view from their website.
A
Ann B
Guest
Eric,
I agree, the old library was magnificent. Hope these photos bring back some pleasant memories of the old building.
Wish they could rebuild it.
Ann
I agree, the old library was magnificent. Hope these photos bring back some pleasant memories of the old building.
Wish they could rebuild it.
Ann
john knight
signman
Hi Ann,
I loved that old library I practically lived in there and developed my lifelong love affair with books.
I've got rid of the colour, takes on a whole new outlook with no colour to distract.
It reminds me of a load of intertwined hoola-hoops.
I loved that old library I practically lived in there and developed my lifelong love affair with books.
I've got rid of the colour, takes on a whole new outlook with no colour to distract.
It reminds me of a load of intertwined hoola-hoops.
A
Ann B
Guest
John,
It actually looks quite pleasing in monochrome!
I started to use the old library, once I worked in town. And I loved going there too. I used to go mainly for plays and books on theatre.
Ann
It actually looks quite pleasing in monochrome!
I started to use the old library, once I worked in town. And I loved going there too. I used to go mainly for plays and books on theatre.
Ann
john knight
signman
What do you think of it now ?
Paul Higgins
master brummie
I'm a big lover of modern architecture, but that is a load of shhhh, no I won't say it.:shh:
I hope it is a wind up, with the name of the architects being "Mecanoo"
I agree, Frothy. Meccano building the new library? Here’s the original design:
https://jay.kusnetz.net/pics4ext/3q2004/DiffEng1_Front.jpg
Inspired by:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...e-new-skyscraper-New-York--built-Meccano.html
But on a more (or less!) serious note, why is Birmingham City Council employing Dutch architects? Although the architects are not completely to blame BCC must have given them some sort of remit. “Design us the most ugly, out of place shambles you can envisage and charge us a fortune to do it”!
(I can just hear the conversation- “asked vee hav been to built ze noow library for Birminghams” “Gut! Let us a moonstrosity built und convincing zem it is moodern unt gut!”)
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Ann B
Guest
John,
I preferred your first one.
Ann
I preferred your first one.
Ann
A
Ann B
Guest
And I've just realised they are building the Library on the Rep car park. Where am I going to park now, when I visit the Rep?
Ann
Ann
hi all... i originally planned not to comment on this topic but i am afraid its got the better of me....
john i too went on that site but decided that their pics were not worth knicking....
as anns lovely pics show the old library was a great building inside and out..so why then was it demolished only to be replaced by something with a life expectancy of no more than 50 years....i feel quite sad that it dissapeared before i had the chance to go in there.....
astoness
john i too went on that site but decided that their pics were not worth knicking....
as anns lovely pics show the old library was a great building inside and out..so why then was it demolished only to be replaced by something with a life expectancy of no more than 50 years....i feel quite sad that it dissapeared before i had the chance to go in there.....
astoness
I wish that Ann had not posted those pictures...it is all too sad to think about. I too spent a lot of time in that old library. It was a venue of great distiinction; a human place and beautifully built inside and out. Superbe marble and woodwork and railings and style. In conjunction with the buildings around it, it was a focal point in the city centre. Since the pictures are there maybe someone has the smarts to just digitably clean the buildings up to show how they would have looked new. The buildings around have largely gone now too but the Town Hall remains which I personally thought to be of less value.
When I left Brum for ever, those old buildings were still there, so that appearance is what is fixed in my mind. I don't like modern architecture at all. It is all about structures...not buildings. Not places to feel at ease with. They are merely determined to impress but ultimately they do not. They overbear and finally disappoint.
Maybe the architect had in mind that Birmingham was a major manufacturing city at one time. Possibly the major one. And brass beds and bedsteads were shipped around the world...Made In Birmingham. With this in mind he may have been influenced by the spring frames used. Who knows. If they were to re-create the old original building somwhat enlargened; no doubt the cost would be infinitely more. A measure of what was destroyed perhaps.
When I left Brum for ever, those old buildings were still there, so that appearance is what is fixed in my mind. I don't like modern architecture at all. It is all about structures...not buildings. Not places to feel at ease with. They are merely determined to impress but ultimately they do not. They overbear and finally disappoint.
Maybe the architect had in mind that Birmingham was a major manufacturing city at one time. Possibly the major one. And brass beds and bedsteads were shipped around the world...Made In Birmingham. With this in mind he may have been influenced by the spring frames used. Who knows. If they were to re-create the old original building somwhat enlargened; no doubt the cost would be infinitely more. A measure of what was destroyed perhaps.
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Hi Rupert: Can't say more than you have on this subject and we, on the forum, have posted about the Old Library and it's architectural high points before. Times change and it's hard to accept some of the new buildings. A question for the library builders everywhere...please make up your minds as to what libraries are in this day and age....should they have considerably smaller numbers of books and less space? Many people doing research these days would still need a historical reference area plus the historical social information that they hold. Those are givens I would say. The internet is faster and more up to date for so many things. Our local library is having a redo and it will be interesting to see what their priorities are for today and for the future
Peter Walker
gone but not forgotten
This thread has been busy tonight, but with good reason - what a dreadful proposal this is!
I love libraries, and well remember the old Central Reference and Lending Libraries as a schoolboy in the 1940s and a student and later in the 1950s.
I genuinely thought a new library would be a big improvement, but . . . .
Sadly the Council took some appalling decisions when they commissioned John Madin & Partners to design a new library and the result has been a disappointment from the start. In the last year or two the problem has compounded as a result of second-rate materials and/or workmanship and/or maintenance, so that water has been dripping through the flat roof into the local achives section, and we punters have to negotiate a slalom to avoid the buckets under the worst leaks when it rains. Meanwhile the security of the archives is at risk.
As for the new proposal, I can't take it seriously. It numbs me more than upsets me - in the 1950s I worked in the City Architect's Department on the redevelopment of the Civic Centre area, and of course I believed in what we were doing. At the time I remember no talk of a 'new' Repertory Theatre, but it materialised ten or more years later. And the new library was only being pushed by Sir Herbert Manzoni to make room for his Inner Ring Road adventure, which ruined the whole of our city centre.
The function of libraries is changing dramatically at the moment, and I quietly hope that financial constraints will prevent any building work being done.
But on the other hand the present library is a disaster, too.
Peter
I love libraries, and well remember the old Central Reference and Lending Libraries as a schoolboy in the 1940s and a student and later in the 1950s.
I genuinely thought a new library would be a big improvement, but . . . .
Sadly the Council took some appalling decisions when they commissioned John Madin & Partners to design a new library and the result has been a disappointment from the start. In the last year or two the problem has compounded as a result of second-rate materials and/or workmanship and/or maintenance, so that water has been dripping through the flat roof into the local achives section, and we punters have to negotiate a slalom to avoid the buckets under the worst leaks when it rains. Meanwhile the security of the archives is at risk.
As for the new proposal, I can't take it seriously. It numbs me more than upsets me - in the 1950s I worked in the City Architect's Department on the redevelopment of the Civic Centre area, and of course I believed in what we were doing. At the time I remember no talk of a 'new' Repertory Theatre, but it materialised ten or more years later. And the new library was only being pushed by Sir Herbert Manzoni to make room for his Inner Ring Road adventure, which ruined the whole of our city centre.
The function of libraries is changing dramatically at the moment, and I quietly hope that financial constraints will prevent any building work being done.
But on the other hand the present library is a disaster, too.
Peter
Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
Well that's the Birmingham Rag (mail) for you, they just pick the posts they want you to see.
davidfowler
Exiled Brummie
What fantasic pictures of the old library Ann!
When you see the current and proposed one I think "Oh My God" - they're the strongest words I can use on this forum.:redface:
I would have thought that the Council would have learned from the mistakes their predecessors made in the 60s and 70s. But no. Considering our great Victorian and Edwardian history I would have hoped they could have given at least a nod to that.
When you see the current and proposed one I think "Oh My God" - they're the strongest words I can use on this forum.:redface:
I would have thought that the Council would have learned from the mistakes their predecessors made in the 60s and 70s. But no. Considering our great Victorian and Edwardian history I would have hoped they could have given at least a nod to that.
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