Happy Birthday Library of Birmingham

It is five years since the Library of Birmingham opened, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2013/09/opening-book.html, in September 2013 and with 1.8m visitors annually it is one of the largest visitor attractions outside London, https://confidentials.com/manchester/manchester-central-librarys-astonishing-visitor-numbers

I was lucky to be invited to the press day ahead of its opening and also participated in soft launch testing so the library holds a personal affection, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2013/09/opening-book.html.  While I loved the old ziggurat of the former Central Library I love the setting the new Library of Birmingham commands bordering Centenary Square at at the heart of a civic and commercial renaissance.

The library has seen many changes in five years and following a £2.1m conversion is now home to the Brasshouse Language Centre, the largest adult education centre in the UK specialising in language courses and services, http://www.brasshouse.ac.uk/

As Centenary Square is regenerated and the library is joined by the new HSBC UK headquarters opposite and Paradise and Arena Central developments framing the square the Library of Birmingham truly shines as a beacon of knowledge and learning at the heart of Birmingham.

The following photos show the library in its changing setting as the surrounding area regenerates.