Wednesday, October 01, 2014

ABC Wednesday: L is for Library Walk (again)



Library Walk is a curved walkway connecting St Peter's Square to Mount Street between Manchester Central Library and the Town Hall Extension, which I previously featured on April 2nd 2014.

This is how it looked when I passed by last week. It is still closed. Some men were working on part of the Town Hall Extension.

The new, glass bubble-like enclosure, which features a reflective metal roof, designed by Manchester architect Ian Simpson, has now been installed.

The council say 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. A Public Inquiry is being held on 21st and 22nd October at Manchester Town Hall.

Campaign group Friends of Library Walk. who describe the walkway as a space of "significant architectural merit" and want it to remain the ginnel that roared, are opposed to the proposal.

Find more information on the Friends of Library Walk website or you can follow them on twitter @savelibrarywalk

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Good Fences.

9 comments:

  1. Hmmm, what good is it to have a beautiful walkway and then not have it open?

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  2. I am all for walkways and Libraries and a combination of any kind must be saved. Social media does have some good uses.

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  3. Pretty high barrier there. I like the bubble like enclosure. Can't understand why they wouldn't want the public to be able to use the walkway.

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  4. Great shot ~ love the composition and angles!

    artmusedog and carol ~ A Creative Harbor
    Happy Weekend to you!

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  5. Well all good things start with an idea....

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  6. It looks a beautiful street (and the name alone would sell me -- Libraries are my favorite indoor places to go)... I don't walk anywhere much that after ten p.m., so I guess the closure wouldn't bother me. I have to go look up the word 'ginnel' now.

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