New Birmingham Library

[Bachy Soletanche]

video:-

[i_like_concrete]

Absolutely brilliant, all I would say is that I hope the "Library Of Birmingham" signage is more prevalent.

[mikey23]

I need more time to muse over it. Its grown on me a hell of a lot the more i've seen it, but im still making my mind up.

At this moment in time i'd say an 7/8, but thats subject to fluctuate if and when more images become available.

[Brummyboy92]

I love it so it gets a 9 from me!

[Leeds No.1]

Originally Posted by i_like_concrete

Absolutely brilliant, all I would say is that I hope the "Library Of Birmingham" signage is more prevalent.

And that it isn't in that god-awful typeface. Other than that minor issue, I rate it 8.

[Gherkin]

Looks stupid. Lose the decorative circles and you've got another Birmingham 60's nightmare. Baskerville House wipes the floor with this...

[CityGent]

The circular holes are inspired. I can't think of anything similar in the UK in the public realm (though there probably is.) The blockiness is fine, but a curve in the overhang would help to integrate with the REP a bit more. The chimney's a nice bit of flair though. The patterning on the facade will need to be distinctive. John Lewis in Leicester is OK, but a building aiming to be the best in the world needs more.

As a user of the current library what's inside is what matters, hopefully the music collections won't be in the labyrinth and the lending section won't be on three levels like the existing one.

7/10

[Spatula]

I actually prefer the current library to this eyesore. The worst part is that this revolting thing is going to be next to Baskerville House. It looks like a multi-storey car park for Pete's sake.

[Cherguevara]

It's alright, and if it was somewhere like Leicester or Portsmouth I'd probably like it more, but Birmingham has the biggest library system in the country and this should be the structure that shouts out the cities pride in itself. But there's no grandness, no sense of theatre about it. It could be a Glaswegian hotel or a Mancunian office block, and this countries second/third biggest city and largest local authority deserves better.

[woodhousen]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

It's alright, and if it was somewhere like Leicester or Portsmouth I'd probably like it more, but Birmingham has the biggest library system in the country and this should be the structure that shouts out the cities pride in itself. But there's no grandness, no sense of theatre about it. It could be a Glaswegian hotel or a Mancunian office block, and this countries second/third biggest city and largest local authority deserves better.

i think you make an important point here but i dissagree that you dont think its been achieved. you look merely at the height in a sence of gradure, but how many building have a 5 storey whirl-pool hole going underground?

stunning piece of delicate architecture

[Bachy Soletanche]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

It's alright, and if it was somewhere like Leicester or Portsmouth I'd probably like it more, but Birmingham has the biggest library system in the country and this should be the structure that shouts out the cities pride in itself. But there's no grandness, no sense of theatre about it. It could be a Glaswegian hotel or a Mancunian office block, and this countries second/third biggest city and largest local authority deserves better.

Dunno about Grand, but it is pretty huge

This is Baskville House


this is it next to the library:

[delores]

I think the building and the landscape are good and hopefully no more of those horrid brick pavers! but I have a problem with the REP...it needs a serious makeover to fit better into the library's architecture at the moment that part of the design doesn't work for me.

[Cherguevara]

Originally Posted by woodhousen

i think you make an important point here but i dissagree that you dont think its been achieved. you look merely at the height in a sence of gradure, but how many building have a 5 storey whirl-pool hole going underground?

stunning piece of delicate architecture

I really don't care about height that much, I'm looking for a dramatic form. This just seems apologetic. It's a couple of modern blocks stacked on top of one another with some grills on to pretty it up. It's going for bulk not granduer and it seems a bit of a wasted effort.

Civic building don't have to follow the rules that other buildings do because their purpose doesn't require it. Look at the National Theatre or the Imperial War Museum Manchester or the Guggenheims. They don't look like any other building because they don't need to. This looks like something we've all seen before.

Out of interest what is the whirlpool for?

[woodhousen]

as this is the largest public library in the country, they couldnt supply all the space on the site above ground on the site without it becoming a 20 storey building. so there are 5 underround floors also, and this huge ampitheatre serves as access and light to the lower floors

[Cherguevara]

Originally Posted by woodhousen

as this is the largest public library in the country, they couldnt supply all the space on the site above ground on the site without it becoming a 20 storey building. so there are 5 underround floors also, and this huge ampitheatre serves as access and light to the lower floors

Now that is a good idea.

[i_like_concrete]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

This looks like something we've all seen before.

Show me where you have seen something like this before.

[Cherguevara]

Well Manchester has several buildings with overhanging blocks (CJC, 1 New York Street etc.) and London already has a few (Alsop's LDA offices in Southwark for example) and the decoration (I presume it's also some form of sun shade?) is similar to somthing that's being planned for the Hive in Manchester (and therefore probably several other places).

It's a novel arrangement of several common current architectural themes and I do quite like it. I just don't think it goes far enough to differentiate itself.

[Soul_13]

someone is a bit jealous I think

It's a brilliant building, it's grand, edgy with very high quality glass panels. I love the way interacts with centenary square plus it doesn't look extreme in a bad way. I can't wait till it get's built. Nice job Mechano (or whatever their name is..)

[Cherguevara]

Originally Posted by Soul_13

someone is a bit jealous I think

It's a brilliant building, it's grand, edgy with very high quality glass panels. I love the way interacts with centenary square plus it doesn't look extreme in a bad way. I can't wait till it get's built. Nice job Mechano (or whatever their name is..)

Don't be silly.

As I've said, I like it, and now my attention has been drawn towards the massive whole I like it more. I just think the face of it isn't quite good enough for what is going to be a symbol of the city. I'd like it to be a bit more bombastic, a bit more intricate in its decoration, just a bit more interesting.

Then I'd truly be jealous.

[i_like_concrete]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

Well Manchester has several buildings with overhanging blocks (CJC, 1 New York Street etc.) and London already has a few (Alsop's LDA offices in Southwark for example) and the decoration (I presume it's also some form of sun shade?) is similar to somthing that's being planned for the Hive in Manchester (and therefore probably several other places).

It's a novel arrangement of several common current architectural themes and I do quite like it. I just don't think it goes far enough to differentiate itself.

There are loads of buildings with overhangs in the world, all built before the examples you listed, Birmingham's current central library for example, so they're unoriginal too then are they?

If you think all architecture must be radically different from everything else in the world then you'll never be satisfied because :shock horror: PEOPLE ARE INFLUENCED BY AND SHARE GOOD IDEAS. Yeah but that must be a bad thing.

You're talking about the Hive that has no information whatsoever regarding this similar cladding you're referring to, no pictures no nothing other than what appears to be a thoroughly run of the mill concrete building? Ever seen the Arab institute in Paris? It's a wonderful piece of architecture, and one which I suspect may have had an influence on the cladding of this, not the Islamic overtones but in the detail and ornate delicacy of it, does that make it unoriginal? Because it shares themes with other pieces of architecture?

I dunno if you've been to Birmingham, or like actually seen the world, but this library is different in all the ways that count, it has cladding that uniquely represents Birmingham's heritage, being the largest public library in this country, housing some of the most modern facilities of any public library, having roof terraces open to the public, the list goes on. I'm sure you'll give me a list of Manchester buildings with roof terraces now because good ideas aren't what count, looking totally different to everything else is more important obvs.