Manchester Central Library

A Brief Guide to the History & Architecture

IntroductionCentral Library is one of the city’s best known and best loved landmarks, but people are often surprised to discover that this wonderful library was only built in 1934. This leaflet tells the story of the building and its architecture.

Before Central LibraryIn 1852 Manchester became the first authority to establish a rate-supported public lending and reference library. The Manchester Free Library was opened in the Hall of Science, Campfield (on the site of what is now the Air and Space Hall of the Museum of Science and Industry). By 1877, the building had become unsafe, so the books were transferred to the old Town Hall in King Street. This building proved too small for the growing collections and in 1912 the library moved to a temporary site in Piccadilly - this included the outpatients wing of the old infirmary and a former YMCA hut!

For a number of reasons, including the outbreak of World War I, there was no further progress on a new building until 1927, when a competition was held for the design of an extension to the Town Hall, together with a new library, which was won by E. Vincent Harris

The Architect and his DesignHarris (1876-1971) was a well-respected municipal architect whose work has been described by the noted architectural historian John Archer as revealing ‘a creative and original modern spirit’. He worked very closely with Stanley Jast (1868-1944), the Chief Librarian of Manchester Public Libraries, on the unusual design of the

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding”

Manchester Central Library A Brief Guide to the History & Architecture

www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries

building, which was strongly influenced by visits to American libraries.

Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald laid the foundation stone of the building on 6 May 1930. The library was officially opened on 17 July 1934, by King George V, who told the huge crowds:

“In the splendid building which I am about to open, the largest library in this country provided by a local authority, the Corporation have ensured for the inhabitants of the city magnificent opportunities for further education and for the pleasant use of leisure.”

The ExteriorThe Town Hall Extension and Central Library were designed to complement each other, although the style of the two buildings is very different. Harris was a great admirer of Roman architecture and Central Library is often compared to Emperor Hadrian’s Pantheon in Rome. The building was constructed on a steel frame with reinforced concrete floors and is faced with Portland stone. The most striking features are the main entrance - a huge, two-storey portico with six columns - and the colonnade around the second and third floors.

The Interior

Harris’s design created a feeling of light, space and openness in the library, using modern techniques such as the ‘plenum system’ of heating and ventilation, which left the floors and walls free of radiators and pipework. The fittings, metalwork and furniture were all of the highest quality. Hopton Wood stone from Derbyshire

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding”

Manchester Central Library A Brief Guide to the History & Architecture

lines the internal walls, much of the joinery is oak or English walnut, while the metalwork is largely bronze.

Shakespeare HallThe main entrance hall gets its name from the huge stained glass window above the front door. The window was designed by the Arts & Crafts artist, Robert Anning Bell RA (1863-1933) and includes a portrait of William Shakespeare and scenes from many of his plays. It was given to the library by Mrs Rosa Grindon, in memory of her husband, the famous Manchester botanist, Leo Grindon.

The two other stained glass windows and the magnificent heraldic decorations were all designed by George Kruger Gray (1880-1943). On the ceiling are the arms and crests of the Duchy of Lancaster, Lancashire County Council and the Sees of York, Manchester and the City of Manchester. Around the walls are those of Manchester Grammar School, Manchester University, the Manchester Regiment, Humphrey Chetham, the Overseers of the Township, England, St George and St Mary (the patron saint of Manchester).

The white, marble statue on the left stair landing is The Reading Girl by Giovanni Ciniselli (1832-1883). She was bought in Italy by Daniel Adamson, the first chairman of the Manchester Ship Canal Company, and given to the library by his family in 1938. There is a bit of a mystery about what she is reading – we know that it was originally a poem called The Angel’s Story which was printed on paper and pasted into her marble book but, by the time she came to the library, this had disappeared and we have never been able to trace the poem since.

Manchester Central Library A Brief Guide to the History & Architecture

The Great HallAt the heart of the library on the First Floor is the Great Hall, originally known as the Reading Room, which provides seating for up to 300 readers. This wonderful, atmospheric room is lined with bookshelves and lit partly by natural light from the glass ‘oculus’ in the centre of the dome and partly by a circle of elegant Art Deco style lights. Harris designed an extraordinary wrought iron structure over the central counter, with green malachite pillars, topped by a clock. Around the dome is a quotation from the Bible (Proverbs IV, v7-9) chosen by Harris: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding’

Many of the items of furniture in the Great Hall are those designed by Harris for the building’s opening in 1934 – including bookcases, tables, chairs, map cabinets, and lecterns.

The acoustics of the Great Hall are unusual to say the least: the dome creates an extraordinary ‘whispering gallery’ effect, which changes depending on where you stand in the room. Various attempts have been made to modify this over the years, including carpeting the floor and building a canopy over the central counter to reduce the noise rising up the spiral staircase from the stack area.

StackUnderneath the Great Hall are the four levels of library stacks (storage areas). Made of steel, they directly support the reinforced concrete floors of the building and drive down into the sandstone bedrock. They contain approximately 35 miles of shelving and were designed to provide storage space for up to one million books. The stacks contain some of the oldest and most precious treasures of the library – these are kept in special secure areas and an underground environment-controlled archive store in the basement.

The Library TheatreManchester City Council is unique in running its own repertory theatre, the internationally renowned Library Theatre Company. Harris planned a lecture theatre for the basement of the building, but during the Second World War it was used as a studio by the BBC and in 1946 the council decided to use the area for theatrical performances. The first production, The Seagull, took place on 11 February 1947, and the Library Theatre Company was established in 1952.

Manchester Central Library A Brief Guide to the History & Architecture

Further Information The photographs used in this leaflet are from the Manchester Local Image Collection, which contains over 80,000 images of Manchester and its suburbs, including over 300 images of Manchester Central Library. The image database can be searched online at: www.images.manchester.gov.uk

For more information about Central Library and the full range of library services visit our website at: www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries

Contact Details

Manchester Central LibrarySt Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PDTelephone: 0161 234 1900 Email: libraries@manchester.gov.ukwww.manchester.gov.uk/libraries

www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries

A Brief Guide to the History & Architecture