Liverpool City Council has released the first images of what its Central Library and Archive will look like after its £50m redevelopment.
Under the plan the Grade II listed parts of the building, including the Picton, Hornby and Oak Reading Rooms which date back to 1850, will be restored to their former glory.
The building is due to close in June 2010 and the sections behind the façade, built in the 1950s and 1970s following wartime bomb damage, will be demolished and rebuilt with a new atrium dome to bring in natural light. It is planned to reopen in 2012.
The aim is to create a building which is a heritage attraction in its own right with historic areas secured, restored and open to the public. A café will also be introduced for the first time.
Rooftop terrace
The project will also include a new rooftop terrace and a new home for the Liverpool Record Office in a purpose built secure, climate-controlled storage with room for 20 years of new archive space. There will also be state-of-the-art IT facilities which will allow people to download music and games and a doubling of the number of public computers.
Council leader Warren Bradley said: "This is the biggest ever single investment in the city's library service and will create a stunning building the whole city can be proud of. It will transform the Central Library into a place where reading and learning is exciting and stimulating and provide a new home for books, which will remain at the heart of the service."
Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said: "Liverpool's plans for a new Central Library look brilliant to me. By refurbishing the beautiful 19th century façade and the historic reading rooms, while creating brand new spaces and facilities inside, the people of Liverpool will get the best of both worlds, and set a great example to the rest of the country of how a really effective 21st century library service can look."
The successful contractor is a joint venture between Amber Infrastructure and Shepherd Construction.
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