DESIGNING LIBRARIES
Birmingham Central Library.
ing to see and experience something special. Meanwhile locals are proud to have – and use – an iconic building on their own patch. I am currently working on a new £25 million Library and Business Centre in Nuneaton – as part of regeneration plans to transform and ‘rebrand’ the town centre.
Design trends Whether iconic libraries are new-builds or adaptations of older buildings, there are some common design trends such as: flexible use of space, a focus on customer experience, a move towards joint provision with other cultural services, child-friendly design, greener credentials and built-in technology. They are designed to be community hubs, not just libraries. Many feature open atriums, zoned areas, exhibition spaces, galleries and cafés, with fewer barriers between staff and customers. Some offer open access during unstaffed periods.
Value New libraries certainly have an impact on usage – not least because they usually offer more services and attractions than their predecessors. The Hive in Worcester – the first combined university and public library in Europe – opened in 2012, since when book borrowing and library visitor numbers have soared. Rumia Library in Northern Poland, housed in a reimagined for- mer waiting room at the town’s still-functioning railway station, has seen a 50 per cent increase in readers since opening. Libraries have an economic as well as social and educational impact. Various organisations have studied – and tried to quan- tify – the economic contribution of public libraries. Recent research conducted by the University of East Anglia concluded that, in 2023, England’s 3,000 public libraries together generat- ed value of at least £3.4 billion per year, with the average branch library typically providing £1 million in value annually.
Placemaking The ‘wow factor’ can apply to both revamped old library build- ings and exciting new ones. The key to getting it right is to involve local communities at the planning stage so potential users can
Winter 2025 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 11
help design a place offering services they need, want and will use. In other words, local people are invested in, and excited about, the new or remodelled library from its inception. This is all part of what is often called Placemaking – a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and man- agement of public spaces which capitalises on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, intended to create public spaces that improve urban vitality and promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being. The best examples are architecturally brave – and achieve iconic status for their structure alone. But I do sometimes wonder – iconic for whom? And is it still ‘business as usual’ inside the iconic library?
The Hive.
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