St
Peters Square, Manchester M2 5PD. Tel: 0161-234 1900.
An
important British library, which serves the city and the region,
and one of the largest outside London, it has an extensive collection
of books for lending and for reference, as befits a major university
city. It also houses audio-visual material and exhibitions.
Manchester
had been the first local authority in Britain to introduce a
public lending and reference library, under powers granted by
the Public Libraries & Museums Act of 1850. Lending of books
was free, costs being supported by ratepayers.
The existing
building came as a result of many years searching for a suitable
place to house Manchester's growing collection of books and
printed materials. Amongst these are 30 incunabula - books printed
before 1501. It also houses the Library Theatre, a café, shop
and Local Studies Unit.
It was designed
by London architect E. Vincent Harris, who won the competition
for its design as well as the adjacent Town
Hall Extension (built later). The foundation stone of the
library was laid by Prime Minister Ramsey MacDonald in 1930,
and it was officially opened by King George V on 17 July 1934.
It is regarded
as one of Harris's most confident and impressive buildings -
a Manchester landmark which dominates St Peter's Square, and
commands an imposing position when approaching from the south
along one of Manchester's busiest thoroughfares, Oxford Street.
The building
was constructed as an underlying 4 storey high steel frame,
clad in Portland stone, and rising 90 feet, with attic and storage
facilities below ground. It is clearly influenced by the Pantheon
in Rome.
Rustication
is employed on the two lower floors to give the whole building
a feeling of massiveness and strength. Above this level are
two storeys behind giant Doric columns
