| Library of Birmingham | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Public library |
| Architectural style | |
| 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[1] |
| Client | Birmingham City Council |
| Owner | Birmingham City Council |
| Height | 60 metres (200 ft)[2] |
| 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 |
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| Awards and prizes | |
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| 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 |
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.