The Library of Birmingham
- Burkhard Franke
Within a filigree curtain of aluminium annuli, the Library of Birmingham closes off the northern side of Centenary Square and forms a symbol of the city’s new self-confidence as a place of learning and culture. Beneath the square is a department for children and youth.The offset cubes of the upper storeys indicate the organization of the central internal line of access and create two roof terraces that are not visible from the outside. A broad foyer at ground level links the library with the neighbouring theatre, which has been refurbished and extended. From the joint entrance, visit-ors have access via shallow ramps and stepped terraces to the lower floor, while a long escalator rises to the first of four working and reading levels. Further escalators lead up through offset circular openings in the floors to the fourth storey, from where a cylindrical glass lift rises past the archives to the administration on the seventh floor.
