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New Birmingham library plans

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Ann, do you know what year the pics are from?

Also I'm having difficulty in placing the view of the outside. I understand that the first municipal library occupied the northern half of a site on Edmund Street and facing the Town Hall. Looking on a 1912 map I can't place the streets on the pic.:( Is the one on the right Edmund Street and the one at the back Great Charles Street?
 
Hi David,

The photographs are dated as 6th. March 1962. And the exterior one states Ratcliff Place from Edmund Street.
I was especially pleased to see the interior photograph. I remember the first time I went in there, I was in wonder at the place.

Ann
 
Ann, Thanks for Library pics, especially the interier one, haven't seen that one before. I have just been inspired to do a painting of Aston Hall before they demolish that too. Eric
 
You're welcome Eric.
And I shall look forward to seeing your next painting. All you have posted so far have been real gems.

Ann
 
The old library building ran the full length of Ratcliffe and faced the west side of the Town Hall. The building it seems was divided roughly in half with the southern part containing the Midland Institute the function of which I am not familiar with. The entrance to the library was through the portico on the front of the building. As I recall upon entering the building there was a beautifully tiled floor and very high ceiling and beautifull marble (I think) columns. Immediately on the right through an imposing entrance way was the engineering section with the clerical desk on the left as you went in. The engineering section consisted of a large rectangular room with very high ceiling and gallaeries of books up all sides of the room I think. Pollished wooden hand rails topped iron decorative railings at each level and ladders on rollers seved to elevate the researcher to the upper shelves at each level. All very substantially built and, although old, still in superior condition. Old is good when preserved. Especially so in the form of a research library I think. The centre piece of this room was the wonderful, room length, magnificent heavy hard wood wide table; leather surfaced in the centre. Chairs were spaced around the table on all sides, I think. Polished stone was everywhere and chandeliers hung from above. It was built to last and it had done and would still have. This was the room that I used mostly but on occasion I would visit the room shown in the picture posted by Ann. The entrance to the latter was up a stone staircase further back in the entrance hallway. The unassuming portico entrance to the building did not in any way shout about the wonderful contents but they were there in spades.
 
I Haven't posted for a while,but the site of that awful building has stirred me into action. Haven't we learnt any lessons from the monstrous edifices that were raised in the 1960s? Good,solid,pleasing to the eye buildings were torn down ,only to be replaced by vile structures that only architects could love. admittedly the present library is an eyesore, but to replace it with that thing is a crime.
 
Hi. Forgive me for repeating this from post on other thread!

The present Central Library was a design & building disaster. Narow noisy esculators which were allways breaking down, inadequate lift, poor lighting to say nothing of a spiral metal staircase as the only public access to the archives collection and a roof that has leaked for years damaging much original material. That said, the staff (especially in Local History & Archives) were invariably helpful.

The external design for the new central library is an EYESORE. There's no other word for it! The site looks pretty small to me and lets hope the inside is better designed this time. Parking nearby will be a nightmare & it's not very approachable by public transport.

Can't help but feel that the council is more interested in getting it's hands on the present library "site" for other purposes than building a state of the art library for the citizens of Birmingham hence.

Retired Birmingham Librarian (42yrs with the council) & totally cynical.
 
I think it looks great.

In an ideal world I would like all buildings to have the character of Victorian buildings but then I am an oldie.
I like polished Real wood furniture and hate laminate floors in bedrooms and would never buy anything from that famous Swedish store
BUT
We are in the 21st century and time and design moves on.
 
Rupert,

I enjoyed reading your description of the old library, and I was amazed at the detail you can recall. From what I have read, The Birmingham and Midland Institue was only partly built, when they ran out of money, and so the Institute returned the land between Paradise St and Edmund St. to the council. The libraries committee then agreed to complete the original facade.
The Midland Institute was used for many varied purposes. There was a large stage and auditorium, and as a girl, I appeared in several shows there.

Ann
 
I thought the Midland Institute was in Margeret St ??? I was in the Midland Art Society in the 80's and we held one or two exhibitions there. sold my first Gas Street Basin painting there. Eric
 
Eric,

The Birmingham and Midland Institute moved to Margaret St. in 1965. And it still there.

Ann
 
hi all dont know how true this is but ive heard that they are having to lop off the top piece of the new library as it will be to high:rolleyes: i cant check any updates on the design as the site is down at the moment...

lyn:)
 
Lyn.

As I understand it they are lowering the entire building 1 storey further down into the ground, so in essence although it will be lower than originally planned the same amount of floors and floor space will be kept.
 
Hi everyone,
Just as a matter of interest, and by way of comparison, here's a couple of shots of Brightons new library opened a couple of years ago.
 
I've seen the interior plans for the new library and it is actually quite impressive. However, the outside is an eyesore. Out of all the proposals the council received, they picked the most monstrous. Thankfully, being inside it will mean you can't see the outside of it.

Why they didn't look at the 1930's civic centre plans for inspiration and design something which will compliment Baskerville House rather than something which will detriment the entire area is beyond me.

Pity I work for the IT side of the council rather than planning as that definitely wouldn't have been approved by me. Sad thing is, I'll probably be working in it quite a lot once it's built.
 
Hi

Total agreement it an absolute eyesaw. Dosent match anything infact the Square in the words of
Prince Charles has in fact become a carbuncle. The huge complex the Rep Baskerville house and now
this strange looking Box on a Box. With no money vast cost over runs the axeing of Council services
this is the oddest project I have known.
Still we can call it Mike Whitby's folley.

Mike Jenks
 
Why is that some cities around the globe go all out for the most controversial designs, as I stated in another post, the architects and designers are either myopic or they are 'on' some mind-altering substance that makes them 'see' things differently to others. That design is a visual monstrosity and should not be allowed at all. How much longer before some faceless nonentity decides that buildings such as the art gallery and council house need to be replaced with something 'more modern'. The sad part is that however many people complain, it will not make one ha'porth of difference, no doubt in years to come, it, along with eyesores such as Selfridges, will be declared 'masterpieces'.
 
ASTONITE said:
Why is that some cities around the globe go all out for the most controvertial designs, as I stated in another post, the architects and designers are either myopic or they are 'on' some mind-altering substance that makes them 'see' things differently to others.
Click to expand...

The problem is that many cities are defined by their famous buildings or structures. Think of Paris and you think of the Eiffel Tower, think of Sydney and it is the Opera House, think of New York and it is the Statue of Liberty and so on.

But of course these buildings/structures were often not popular when first built. The Eiffel Tower had heavy critisism when first built and many in Paris wanted it torn down. Can you imagine the outcry if they tried to take it down today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower#History

I think the problem is that city leaders/town planners want "interesting" buildings (to get publicity for their city?), but interesting often means "different". And of course anything different gets critisism.

I think "different" is OK in the right location (and different still needs to be well designed). The Eiffel Tower works because there is almost no buildings around it, so nothing for it to "clash" with.

However the outside of the new library IS NOT well designed (it is a mess), the structure has no flow or beauty (it is a big square lump), and a building that size is in TOTALLY the wrong place alongside Baskerville house (and other smaller human-scale buildings in Centenary Square).

I just hope, when finished, it looks better than it does in the pictures.
 
The other thing I find objectionable about the design is the way it is 'tacked' on to the Rep. I don't find the Rep a pleasing building to look at in any sense, but to then attach it to a hamsters' playhouse is idiotic.

It means the Rep will continue to age badly and two very divisive buildings remain on what should be a jewel in Birmingham's crown for countless decades. The whole design of Centenary Square and Broad St goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. Why, if the majority of the building is going to be underground (from what I've seen of the interior), couldn't they build a square structure above ground incorporating the design elements of Baskerville House? The upper floors from what I remember of the video I've seen offer little actual floor space for the size of the building anyway...

Plus it's theorized that the design of the building as it stands now means it will act as a huge Farraday cage so don't even attempt to use your wireless laptop in it.
 
Roiters (with a Brummie accent, please), Birmingham – It has been reported that if you – as a citizen of Birmingham - still pay taxes to Birmingham City council, don’t be too worried about the financing of the new library. You will not have to pay a single penny.
An agreement has been reached between the Council and a well-known British shoe manufacturer/retailer. A contract was signed at midday today by City councillors and representatives of the Somerset-based company to sponsor the building of Brum’s new Centre of Culture.
A correspondent

(Sorry, John, I just couldn't resist it !!!)
 
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What a coup to be able to get such a prestigious designer as Francine Houben. Superb design destined as iconic for the heart of Brum. I remember the objections to the Centre Pompidou - who wants to see the inside workings of a building on the outside, quelle horror! - and the Glass Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris. Now everyone raves about them. This is just what's needed. We don't need Luddites in a library. This is architecture of modernity for a global city.
 
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