Leader of Birmingham City Council Mike Whitby has today revealed the design of the new £193m library for the city.
Mecanoo Architecten designed the scheme, known as the Library of Birmingham, which is set to open in 2013 on Centenary Square.
The 333,681 sq ft library will sit between the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Baskerville House and provide 20% more space than the existing library, which is subject to a listing process at the moment.
The existing library is on a key site which the council and developer Argent want to redevelop as part of the £1bn Paradise Circus scheme. The new library at Centenary Square will be built by Carillion and work is due to start on site next year.
Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: ‘The new Library of Birmingham will be an iconic landmark, and a testament to the role Birmingham will play in the 21st century as a truly global city. The new designs are further evidence of our intention to attract world-class architects to work with the city.’
Francine Houben, founding partner of Mecanoo, said he hoped the building would draw people in to Reading and learning, and: ‘Even just to simply experience the pleasure of social interaction that a great public space can provide.’
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