Liverpool Central Library
The Liverpool Central Library and Archive Project is a unique and prestigious scheme within the heart of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site. The project provided a 8000m2 library and specialist archive and restored 4000m2 of Grade II* Listed historic buildings on William Brown Street.
A new 6-floor library, with an exciting atrium, gives the City of Liverpool a library for the 21st Century. The library connects to the historic Picton Library, the Hornby Library and Oak Room giving these areas a new lease of life and bringing them into public use.
A new archive repository provides storage for Liverpool’s most valuable collections and includes first class facilities for preservation and research.
Press and Publications
Liverpool Library video from Wash Design
Image credits: Shepherd Construction
It’s like going to meet your gran and finding she’s turned into Beyoncé
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Central Library is without doubt one of the most significant and celebrated buildings in Liverpool and its restoration is more than just bringing a venue back into use – its investing in the heritage of the city.
Breathtaking development.
Joe Anderson – mayor of Liverpool
LOCATION: LIVERPOOL
CLIENT: LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL/INSPIRE PARTNERSHIP
VALUE: £50m
COMPLETION: 2013
SERVICE: ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE, INTERIORS, CONSERVATION
SECTOR: ARTS & CULTURE, CIVIC
CONTRACTOR: SHEPHERD CONSTRUCTION
LANDSCAPE: AUSTIN-SMITH: LORD
STRUCTURES: ROC CONSULTING
SERVICES: BURO HAPPOLD
COST CONSULTANT: SHEPHERD CONSTRUCTION
AWARDS:
2014 RIBA NW REGIONAL AWARD
2014 RIBA NW CONSERVATION AWARD
2014 RICS AWARD: NW PROJECT OF THE YEAR
2014 RICS AWARDS: NW COMMUNITY BENEFIT AWARD
2014 RICS AWARD: NW TRAVEL & TOURISM
2014 LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE AWARDS: HIGHLY COMMENDED
2013 BUILDING AWARD: BEST TECHNICAL INNOVATION
2013 NW REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION AWARDS: REGIONAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR
2013 LABC NW BUILDING EXCELLENCE AWARDS: REGIONAL WINNER
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BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET (Interiors)With aspirations of creating a world-class centre of excellence as a dance rehearsal facility and also to support the wide range of additional activities expected of a modern arts organisation, Austin-Smith:Lord was appointed by Birmingham Royal Ballet as architect, interior designer and design team leader for the refurbishment of the Birmingham Royal Ballet building. The refurbishment included the upgrade of two existing ballet rehearsal studios, the creation of an informal performance venue for audiences of up to 100 people within the existing footprint of the two other rehearsal rooms, the complete replacement of current facilities for dancers’ changing, welfare and rest areas and existing administration offices. The existing reception and main access into the building has also been addressed and improved. -
LIVERPOOL CENTRAL LIBRARY (Interiors)The Liverpool Central Library and Archive Project is a unique and prestigious scheme within the heart of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site. The project provided a 8000m2 library and specialist archive and restored 4000m2 of Grade II* Listed historic buildings on William Brown Street. A new 6-floor library, with an exciting atrium, gives the City of Liverpool a library for the 21st Century. The library connects to the historic Picton Library, the Hornby Library and Oak Room giving these areas a new lease of life and bringing them into public use.
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TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY: THE CURVE (Interiors)Competition-winning design for the heart of Teesside University’s campus
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ALEXANDER HOUSE OFFICE REFURBISHMENT, CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYPDR is a world leading design consultancy and applied research facility owned by Cardiff Metropolitan University.
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THREE PICCADILLY PLACE (Interiors)Mixed use development of 97,000m2 comprising offices, hotel, residential apartments, shopping, food and drink over three levels of underground parking
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BUSINESS SCHOOL AND GROWTH HUB, GLOUCESTER (INTERIORS)Flagship building for the University of Gloucester
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LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT (Interiors)State-of-the-art new facility that encourages collaborative and social learning
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LLANELLY HOUSE, CARMATHENSHIRE (INTERIORS)Restoration of this Grade I Listed Georgian Town House to its 18th Century glory
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CARMELITE MONASTERY (Interiors)Purpose-built new monastery for the Carmelite Sisters in Liverpool
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GUILDFORD CIVIC CONCERT HALL (INTERIORS)RIBA Award winning G-Live Concert Hall and entertainment venue
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CARDIFF SCHOOL OF ART + DESIGN (Interiors)Our second RIBA Award winning project for Cardiff Metropolitan University
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DANCE HUB, BIRMINGHAM (Interiors)A striking new rooftop extension to Birmingham Hippodrome’s campus, the home of Birmingham Royal Ballet
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SHREWSBURY MUSEUM (Interiors)Austin-Smith:Lord was commissioned to sensitively restore and convert the Grade II* listed Music Hall, in the centre of Shrewsbury, into a Museum for Shropshire County Council. The Museum has been created within a unique collection of buildings including the 13th Century Vaughan’s Mansion, the 19th Century Music Hall and Assembly Rooms, a medieval shut, the town’s 18th century prison cells and 20th century nuclear bunker. Vaughan’s Mansion sits on Anglo Saxon foundations and is one of only a handful of medieval defensive
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BEDWELLTY HOUSE + PARKAustin-Smith:Lord was appointed to carry out the full restoration of this 19th Century House and Parkland, incorporating new build elements to complement and enhance the existing building. Our work included the preparation of a detailed Conservation Management Plan and archaeological investigations, leading to the full restoration and new uses of this rare Regency period estate which had been neglected and partially derelict for several years.
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MONASTERY OF ST FRANCIS & GORTON (INTERIORS)RICS NW Building of the Year: Restoration and extension of the near derelict Grade II* Listed Church and Friary
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PEOPLE'S HISTORY MUSEUMManchester’s People’s History Museum’s unique collections track the development of democracy through the lives of the working people of Britain. Although boasting a world class collection the Museum’s split between two sites had neither helped its public profile or its operation and management. Our job was to help the museum consolidate onto one site and to give the museum a striking new presence in the city.
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MOBILE CHEMOTHERAPY UNITAustin-Smith:Lord was commissioned by Tenovus Cancer Care to develop a state of the art design for a new mobile chemotherapy unit that will allow cancer patients across South Wales to receive the best possible treatment closer to home. A thorough consultation process was used to identify the needs and aspirations of all types of users of the unit, taking into account the standards and requirements of the staff as well as the patients. The final design took into account the latest research into cancer care and treatment, patient recovery, and wellbeing of all users.
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THE BLUECOAT, LIVERPOOLThe Bluecoat is the earliest surviving building in Liverpool city centre and the oldest arts space of its kind in the United Kingdom. Built in 1717 as a school for poor children, it became an arts centre in 1911, and hosted the first ever UK exhibition outside of London featuring works by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne and Van Gogh.
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LEEDS CITY MUSEUMLeeds City Museum, located in the ‘Cultural Quarter’ area around Millennium Square in the centre of the city, is a central hub for Leeds’ network of museums and cultural attractions. The Museum is part of a larger scheme which includes the new ‘Discovery Centre’, a museum collections building located in the Clarence Dock area of Leeds. The Museum is located in the refurbished Grade II* Listed Leeds Institute, an imposing mid-Victorian building designed by Cuthbert Brodrick.
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CARDIFF SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT (Interiors)The £13 million Cardiff School of Management building is the first phase of a redevelopment master-plan for Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Llandaff Campus. It provides purpose designed accommodation for a total of 160 staff and approximately 2000 students totaling approximately 7800 square metres of floor space. The Client required a ‘signature’ building of high architectural quality and that the design addressed sustainability issues and achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. Since completion, student applications have risen 25% against a national average of 4% for similar courses and the University tops the UK league tables for student satisfaction.
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COLEG Y CYMOEDD ABERDARE CAMPUS (Interiors)Austin-Smith:Lord was appointed by Coleg y Cymoedd to develop proposals and brief for a new campus at Aberdare in 2013, achieving Outline Planning for the scheme. The college secured match funding from the Welsh Assembly Government in 2015 after which the construction contract was awarded to Kier Construction. Austin-Smith:Lord were appointed to deliver the detailed and technical design through to completion and handover.
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ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY OLD COLLEGEIn 2012, Aberystwyth University engaged Austin-Smith:Lord to lead the preparation of a Feasibility into the adaptive reuse of the Grade 1 listed Old College building in Aberystwyth. This Study was completed in 2013. In 2015, the University revisited the findings of that Study and reviewed the options presented in the earlier study and prepared an updated Business Case. Following this, the University again engaged Austin-Smith:Lord to prepare revised information describing the potential use(s) of the building in the future in support of a Heritage Lottery Funding Application.
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GAIETY THEATRE, AYRAustin-Smith:Lord led the design team for the very recently completed Ayr Gaiety Theatre, including a full refurbishment of the Grade B Listed auditorium. This followed on from phase one of the refurbishment, completed in early 2015, which included a new dedicated ticket desk, the redesign of the main entrance, and a new shopfront. The main auditorium was designed by Alexander Cullen of Cullen, Lockhead and Brown, Hamilton in 1903 following a fire in the stage and fly tower. The entire auditorium was re-modelled and fire proofed with circle and balcony reconstructed in concrete and steel with the addition of six boxes finished in a Rococo style.
