Libraries of Light: British Public Library Design in the Long 1960s

257 Pages·2016·36.245 MB·English

by  Alistair Black

Libraries of Light
For the first hundred years or so of their history, public libraries in Britain were
built in an array of revivalist architectural styles. This backward-looking tradition
was decisively broken in the long 1960s as many new libraries were erected up
and down the country.
In this new Routledge book, Alistair Black argues that the architectural
modernism of the post-war years was symptomatic of the age’s spirit of renewal.
In the 1960s, public libraries truly became ‘libraries of light’, and Black further
explains how this phrase not only describes the shining new library designs – with
their open-plan, decluttered, Scandinavian-inspired interiors – but also serves as a
metaphor for the public library’s role as a beacon of social egalitarianism and
cultural universalism.
A sequel to Books, Buildings and Social Engineering (2009), Black’s new
book takes his fascinating story of the design of British public libraries into the era
of architectural modernism.
Alistair Black is Professor in the School of Information Sciences, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is author of A New History of the English
Public Library (1996) and The Public Library in Britain 1914–2000 (2000). He is
co-author of Understanding Community Librarianship (1997), The Early
Information Society in Britain, 1900–1960 (2007) and Books, Buildings and
Social Engineering (2009). He was Chair of the Library History Group of the
Library Association, 1992–1999, and of the IFLA Section on Library History,
2003–2007. He was editor of the international journal Library History, 2004–
2008, and the North American editor of Library and Information History,
2009–2013. He is general editor of the journal Library Trends.
‘A thoroughly grounded, beautifully illustrated and superbly researched effort that
connects the developments of the welfare state and civic architecture in post-
World War II Great Britain within a discussion of the construction of Sixties
public library buildings. Black identifies the conflicts and compromises (most
were successful, some not) struck between proponents of management efficiency
and advocates for physical attraction that 60s’ librarians, ironically, often resisted.’
Wayne A. Wiegand, Florida State University, USA
Libraries of Light
British public library design
in the long 1960s
Alistair Black
First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Alistair Black
The right of Alistair Black to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-472-47294-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-59233-6 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
Contents
List of figures vii
Preface and acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
1 The long journey to libraries of light 21
2 Modernisation and modernism: the post-war public library
and the revolution in its built-form 54
3 Style, siting and space 92
4 Flagship libraries: intersections of style, siting, space and
light 141
5 Holborn Central Library: Scandinavian ‘light’ 163
6 Hampstead Central Library: into the light 172
7 Bourne Hall Library: light from space 185
8 Birmingham Central Library: light from within 195
Conclusion 216
Select bibliography 225
Index 231

Figures
Cover: Hampstead Central Library, also known as Swiss Cottage Library (source:
Camden Local History and Archives Centre; David Cockroft, photographer)
0.1 Main reading hall, Birmingham Reference Library 2
0.2 Beckenham Public Library 3
0.3 Stockton-on-Tees Central Library 3
0.4 Lending department, Allerton District Library, Liverpool 5
0.5 Exterior of Allerton District Library, Liverpool 5
0.6 Rear of Kensington Central Library 13
0.7 Anti-Ugly Action demonstration 14
1.1 Main Hall, Mitchell Library, Glasgow 34
1.2 Reading room of the West Hill Library, Wandsworth 34
1.3 Castlemilk District Library, Glasgow 36
1.4 Alvar Aalto’s Viipuri (now Vyborg) Library 38
1.5 Main reading room, Viipuri (now Vyborg) Library 39
1.6 Roehampton Branch Library 40
1.7 Lending department, Roehampton Branch Library 41
1.8 Tang Hall Branch Library, York 44
1.9 Main entrance of Norwich Central Library 44
3.1 Acomb Branch Library, York 94
3.2 Camberley Central Library 94
3.3 Gillmoss Branch Library, Liverpool 95
3.4 Hull Central Library 96
3.5 Sketch of the proposed Bradford Central Library 97
3.6 Blackhall Branch Library, Edinburgh 97
3.7 Pram and bike shelter, Seacroft Branch Library, Leeds 98
3.8 Fullwell Cross Library, Redbridge 99
3.9 Pollock District Library, Glasgow 100
3.10 Adult department, Pollock District Library, Glasgow 101
3.11 Cardonald District Library, Glasgow 102
3.12 Barking Central Library 103
3.13 Adult department, Cardonald District Library, Glasgow 104
3.14 Entrance control station, Southborough Library, Bromley 105
viii Figures
3.15 Southborough Library, Bromley 106
3.16 Example of curved shelving 107
3.17 Govanhill Library, Glasgow 108
3.18 Model of the unbuilt Coventry Central Library 112
3.19 St Luke’s Branch Library, Finsbury 114
3.20 Knightswood District Library, Glasgow 115
3.21 Interior of Knightswood District Library, Glasgow 115
3.22 Children’s area, Seacroft Branch Library, Leeds 116
3.23 Plan of Ings Branch Library, Hull 120
3.24 Garden patio, Horley Library 122
3.25 Entrance hall and staff counter, Seacroft Branch Library, Leeds 123
3.26 Children’s department, Manor Branch Library, Sheffield 125
3.27 Pimlico Children’s Library, Churchill Gardens Estate,
Westminster 127
3.28 Exhibition area, Stockton-on-Tees Central Library 129
3.29 Lecture hall, Stockton-on-Tees Central Library 129
3.30 Coffee bar, Stockton-on-Tees Central Library 130
4.1 Luton Central Library 143
4.2 Lending department, Luton Central Library 144
4.3 Norwich Central Library 145
4.4 Commercial, Science and Technology Library, Bradford Central
Library 147
4.5 Entrance hall, Bradford Central Library 148
4.6 Model of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Library 149
4.7 Sketch of the proposed Bromley Central Library 151
4.8 The old Finsbury (previously Clerkenwell) Public Library 153
4.9 Finsbury Central Library 154
4.10 Plan of ground floor of Finsbury Central Library 155
4.11 Jesmond Branch Library, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 156
4.12 Adult lending department, Jesmond Branch Library,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 157
4.13 Bromley Road Branch Library, Lewisham 158
5.1 Holborn Central Library 163
5.2 Entrance canopy, Holborn Central Library 166
5.3 Entrance hall, Holborn Central Library 167
5.4 Adult lending department, Holborn Central Library 167
5.5 Reference department, Holborn Central Library 168
6.1 Hampstead Central Library 173
6.2 Model of proposed Hampstead Civic Centre 174
6.3 Transparent model of Hampstead Central Library 174
6.4 Entrance to Hampstead Central Library 177
6.5 View from first-floor exhibition area, Hampstead Central Library 178
6.6 Twin spiral staircases, Hampstead Central Library 179
6.7 Hampstead Central Library 180
7.1 Bourne Hall Library 185
Figures ix
7.2 Model of Bourne Hall Library and surrounding parkland 186
7.3 Plan of ground floor of Bourne Hall Library 189
7.4 Reference and study area, Bourne Hall Library 190
7.5 Study carrels and central circular skylight, Bourne Hall Library 191
8.1 Birmingham Central Library, with Chamberlain Memorial in
foreground 195
8.2 Plan of Paradise Circus, with Birmingham Central Library 199
8.3 Model of Birmingham Civic Centre, with Birmingham Central
Library centre stage 200
8.4 Central open atrium, Birmingham Central Library 202
8.5 Shakespeare Room, Birmingham Central Library 203
8.6 Cross-section of Birmingham Central Library 204
8.7 Birmingham Central Library nearing completion 207
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