Library Walk is a curved walkway connecting St Peter's Square to Mount Street between Manchester Central Library and the Town Hall Extension.
A new, glass bubble-like enclosure, which features a reflective metal roof, was designed by leading Manchester architect Ian Simpson and given planning approval in 2012 despite a controversial reception, including a petition signed by more than 1,400 people.
The council are installing a £3.5m glazed link part way along the passageway, connecting the newly revamped library and town hall, but they have safety concerns about keeping the paved corridor open to the public at night and have applied for an order to remove the public right of way from the walkway and halt public access with the stretch partly gated off between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
Read a report in the Manchester Evening News
This is the view from Mount Street
Campaign group Friends of Library Walk. who describe the walkway as a space of "significant architectural merit". are opposed to the proposals.
Find more information on the Friends of Library Walk website.
Manchester Central Library, which had been closed since 2010 for a £48million renovation programme to restore original its features and install 21st Century technology, finally reopened to the public on Saturday, 22nd March 2014. The building, which first opened in 1934, is a Grade II listed building viewed here on Monday 24th March 2014 looking across the metrolink tramway from Oxford Street. Library Walk is on the right.
A contribution to ABC Wednesday.
I'm with our local Friends of the Library.
ReplyDeleteI really like the shape of the library. I still use libraries and hope they survive well into the future.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful dome kind of like structure! Wonder how it looks inside:)
ReplyDeleteit's gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteLovely building and dome.
ReplyDeleteIn this day of so much technology I really hope the Libraries survive.
Its a beautiful building but its aspect is not as nice as it used to be decades ago. Last time I was there there were a lot of boards up so perhaps it will look better next time I visit. Hope the Friends of Library Walk have success.
ReplyDelete