3 February 2011
A computer-generated video tour of the
Library of Birmingham by Mecanoo Architecten has been released
today.
The ambitious project, project and cost
managed by Capita Symonds and located in Centenary Square
Birmingham, will connect the Library of Birmingham with the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre to create a major new cultural
destination opening in 2013.
Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City
Council, said:
“Over a year into the construction process, we
are at a hugely exciting point in the Library of Birmingham
project. The building is progressing at a truly phenomenal rate and
taking shape right before people’s eyes - whilst remaining on time
and within budget.
“With the flythrough people can get a real
sense of how our world-class new Library will look and feel inside
and out. We want to provide a ‘people’s palace’ for people of all
ages, offering the diverse communities across the city and beyond a
library to truly be proud of. This flythrough further demonstrates
our vision of transforming the city’s library and archives
services, providing a culturally significant destination for the
21st Century.”
The Library of Birmingham ‘flythrough’ opens
outside the building, showing its distinctive design featuring the
trademark glass facade complete with intricate metal frieze. The
viewer is then transported inside the library through the spacious
front entrance and foyer, an area that will be connected to the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre and used by thousands of visitors each
day. The tour continues through the building’s lower ground floor,
the new home of the children’s and music libraries, and into the
outdoor amphitheatre space, which will host a wide variety of
outdoor performances to be enjoyed by onlookers above in Centenary
Square.
We want to provide a ‘people’s palace’ for people of all ages, offering the diverse communities across the city and beyond a library to truly be proud of.
The journey progresses into the central
rotunda at the heart of the building, featuring a breathtaking wall
of books across two floors, and finishes with an external view of
the ‘golden rotunda’ at the building’s summit, housing the
magnificent wood-panelled Shakespeare Memorial Room from
Birmingham’s Victorian library. The video also shows one of the
library’s stunning outdoor terraces, whilst demonstrating how the
building will be flooded with natural light.
The video provides the clearest vision yet of
what the building will offer upon completion in 2013, and follows
the first interior images which were
released in December 2010.
Library of Birmingham Project Director Brian
Gambles added:
“The Library of Birmingham is being built for
the people, and with anticipation rising as we edge closer to 2013,
we are keen to keep the public informed as to the progress of the
project. This flythrough video offers the first opportunity to take
a preview of the completed building, and I am confident that the
public will be impressed with the results.”
Francine Houben, of project architects
Mecanoo, said:
“The library's interior rotunda spaces will
form a rich sequence of experiences that reveal themselves one
glimpse at a time. The video presentation will demonstrate this
exciting journey of surprise and show you the home provided for
Birmingham’s world class archives and heritage collections, and the
state-of-the-art environment for study, reading and listening to
music.”
With a mission to transform public perceptions
of libraries, new features in the Library of Birmingham will
include a flexible studio theatre, a British Film Institute
Mediatheque, and purpose-built, state-of-the-art exhibition space
for Birmingham’s internationally significant archives and heritage
collections.
Also among the new additions will be a teenage
zone for young people to relax, meet friends and chill out, and a
contemplation room for prayer and quiet thought.
Meanwhile, accessibility will be greatly
improved thanks to wide, level access from Centenary
Square, a spacious open plan foyer and generous circulation routes.
In addition, public lifts will be large enough for wheelchair and
pushchair manoeuvres.
As construction continues into its second
year, current milestones include the recent completion of the floor
slab at first floor level, with focus now turning to the decking
for the second floor.
Following the recent temporary closure of the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Centenary Square base, site
hoardings have been extended to envelope the theatre in readiness
for preparatory works and partial demolition ahead of its physical
link to the Library of Birmingham being forged.
Later in 2011, milestones will include the
topping out of the concrete frame, the installation of glazing, and
the application of the metal frieze.
Media Enquiries
Roulla Xenides or Tom Parker, S&X: 0121
604 6366
Simon Houltby, Birmingham City
Council: 0121 303 3503
Notes to editors:
The total capital cost of the Library of Birmingham project is
£188.8m, a reduction of £4.2m on the original forecasted figure of
£193m. This investment covers the 35,000 sqm of the Library of
Birmingham and the building of new up-dated back of house
facilities for The REP. The Library of Birmingham will occupy
31,000sqm.
View a longer
six-minute video of the flythough