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Central Library Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, West Midlands Birmingham Central Library replaced the 1879 library by Martin and Chamberlain, which had become too small. Designed as part of a major re-development scheme, which included a School of Music, an Athletic Institute, a bus interchange and shopping, initially only the library and the School of Music were built. The Brutalist style and overall plan of the building owes something to Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles’ Boston City Hall which itself was inspired by Le Corbusier’s monastery of Sainte Marie de la Tourette of 1951 and 1961. The building is made up of two linked blocks. The inverted pyramid structure of the main block is supported on a square of reinforced concrete posts, which externally appear as four huge vertical slabs on each façade, rising into and supporting the strongly horizontal floors of the library above. The far smaller eastern block has an inviting three-storey glass façade. The link between the two is an early example of an all glass wall entirely held by metal plates and gaskets. The original intention was to clad the building in Portland stone but for reasons of economy pre-cast panels with a Portland stone aggregate were used instead. Original furniture and fittings, also designed by the architects, mostly survive. Then the largest public library in Europe, it was able, for the first time to house the whole of the library collection in one building, including the extensive archives. Other elements of the library included a Children’s library with its own entrance and a Commercial and Quick reference library. The building also includes the Shakespeare Memorial Library, which was originally part of the old Martin and Chamberlain library from whence it was rescued before the building was demolished. Innovatively, a workshop for painting and other activities was also part of the scheme. Some alterations were made to the building in 1988: the open inner courtyard was enclosed with a glass roof and boxy screens and filled with insensitively fitted shops, but these changes are reversible. The building is structurally sound but has suffered from lack of regular maintenance and is in need of refurbishment. There has been some spalling of the pre-cast concrete panels but this is not considered serious. The building is well used and works well but has, once more, become too small. Despite the library’s excellent situation in the city centre and close to New Street station and public transport, the City Council has made the decision to demolish it and build a new library on Eastside, a recent redevelopment area. Public opinion is generally opposed to the move and there are other possibilities for providing the extra library space needed, but the site on which it stands is very valuable! Eva Ling
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