Library of Birmingham

Library of Birmingham
Library of Birmingham
General information
Type	Public library
Architectural style	Postmodern; High-Tech;
Location	Centenary Square
Address	Broad Street
Town or city	Birmingham
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	52°28′47″N 1°54′30″W / 52.47972°N 1.90833°W
Elevation	144 m (472 ft) AOD
Construction started	7 January 2010
Completed	April 2013
Opened	3 September 2013
Cost	£188.8 million
Client	Birmingham City Council
Owner	Birmingham City Council
Height	60 metres (200 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	10 (OG) 1 (UG)
Floor area	20,798m2 (plus 6,804m2 shared with the REP)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Francine Houben
Architecture firm	Mecanoo architecten
Structural engineer	Buro Happold
Services engineer	Buro Happold/Capita
Civil engineer	Buro Happold
Main contractor	Carillion; Capita Symonds (Project Managers);
Awards and prizes	Architects' Journal Building of the Year 2013; RIBA West Midlands Regional Awards Building of the Year 2014; 2014 Stirling Prize (nominee);
Collection
Items collected	Books, journals, newspapers, magazines, official publications, photographs, BFI Mediatheque, sound and music recordings, maps, postage stamps, prints, drawings, manuscripts and media.
Size	800,000 (Books)
Access and use
Circulation	316,000 (2014)
Other information
Budget	£8.5 million (2015-16)
Director	Brian Gambles
Employees	100 (2015)
Website	www.birmingham.gov.uk/libraryofbirmingham

The Library of Birmingham is a public library in Birmingham, England. It is situated on the west side of the city centre at Centenary Square, beside the Birmingham Rep (to which it connects, and with which it shares some facilities) and Baskerville House. Upon opening on 3 September 2013, it replaced Birmingham Central Library. The library, which is estimated to have cost £188.8 million,^[1] is viewed by the Birmingham City Council as a flagship project for the city's redevelopment. It has been described as the largest public library in the United Kingdom,^[3] the largest public cultural space in Europe,^[4]^[5]^[6] and the largest regional library in Europe.^[7] 2,414,860 visitors came to the library in 2014 making it the 10th most popular visitor attraction in the UK.^[8]

^ ^a ^b "Library of Birmingham: Official opening of £189m building", BBC News, retrieved 3 September 2013
^ "Topping out ceremony takes place at Library of Birmingham", Birmingham Post, retrieved 15 September 2011
^ "Linder and Prater Complete on New Birmingham Library". SpecFinish. Leamington Spa. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ Booth, Robert (3 April 2009). "Library of Birmingham plans unveiled as recession opens a new chapter for civic buildings". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
^ The British Library in London is larger, but is only open to the public by appointment
^ "Library of Birmingham on BBC Radio 4". Mecanoo architecten. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
^ "Library of Birmingham: 'It's about more than just books'". BBC Online. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
^ "ALVA". 19 March 2015.

[autogenerated1-1] "Library of Birmingham: Official opening of £189m building", BBC News, retrieved 3 September 2013

[a-2] "Topping out ceremony takes place at Library of Birmingham", Birmingham Post, retrieved 15 September 2011

[3] "Linder and Prater Complete on New Birmingham Library". SpecFinish. Leamington Spa. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[4] Booth, Robert (3 April 2009). "Library of Birmingham plans unveiled as recession opens a new chapter for civic buildings". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 July 2010.

[5] The British Library in London is larger, but is only open to the public by appointment

[6] "Library of Birmingham on BBC Radio 4". Mecanoo architecten. Retrieved 8 May 2012.

[BBC-MoreThan-7] "Library of Birmingham: 'It's about more than just books'". BBC Online. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.

[8] "ALVA". 19 March 2015.

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