Liverpool Central Library plans

THE first images of the £50m refurbishment of Liverpool’s Central Library are revealed today.

Work to completely modernise the library – demolishing parts of the building in the process – will start in summer 2010.

Today, Liverpool City Council released the first pictures of the plans for the revamped building as it named the preferred developer for the mammoth scheme, enabling it to get under way after more than four years of planning.

The plans include a new forecourt with outside cafe space, a rooftop terrace, and meeting rooms.

A “literary carpet” featuring the names of famous books will lead the way to the entrance, and the stonework and masonry will be restored and specially lit at night to complement the library among its William Brown Street neighbours including St George’s Hall, the Walker Art Gallery, and World Museum Liverpool.

Central Library plans

How the library will look

Inside, there will be a 24-hour library service for returning books and using computers, a franchised coffee shop on the ground floor, and escalators to the first floor. Light wells will ensure as much natural light enters the building as possible.

The Grade II-listed parts of the building, which date back to 1850, including the Picton, Hornby and Oak reading rooms, will be restored to their former glory, and a new room dedicated to John James Audubon’s illustrated books Birds of America – worth £2m per volume – will be created.

Bringing things well and truly into the 21st century, there will be a soundproof “games pod” for teenagers and young people to utilise, and wi-fi connection throughout the building, as well as downloading facilities.

Liverpool Records Office – the biggest and busiest outside of London, according to the city council – will be expanded to accommodate a further 20 years of acquisitions, in state-of-the-art protective facilities.

It already houses some 14km of archives, including the original King John’s Charter, making Liverpool a city in 1207.