Nottingham’s new Central Library is to be designed by an award-winning architectural firm with a proven track record of delivering renowned national libraries across the country, the City Council has announced.

FaulknerBrowns Architects were successful in a competitive tender process to design the new Central Library, to be located in the new Broadmarsh Car Park building, which the Council wants to feature the best children’s library in country.

Previous landmark library buildings designed by FaulknerBrowns include Hebburn Central Library, the Grade II listed Jesmond Library and The Word, National Centre for the Written Word (pictured above) in South Shields, Tyneside which opened in 2016 and is a model for what a modern library should be, using  interactive technologies as well as providing access to books and traditional media.

Locally, FaulknerBrowns designed Nottingham’s National Ice Centre and the University of Nottingham library. The firm was also responsible for Manchester Velodrome and Aquatics Centre.       

The Library announcement marks further progress in the major development of Southside area of the city, with contractors on site at the Broadmarsh Car Park site, work underway at intu Broadmarsh and at Nottingham College’s new Skills Hub taking shape.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Localities, said: “Nottingham City Council has committed to building a new Central Library and the best children’s library in the country, and to bring on architects with the track record of FaulknerBrowns is exciting for the city.

“The Word in South Shields is a fantastic building that has helped to regenerate the area and has brought more local people into their library and more visitors from across the country, and we look forward to seeing the proposals they put forward for Nottingham.”

Steve McIntyre, Partner Architect for FaulknerBrowns Architects, said: “We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity with this project to build upon the huge success of The Word, the National Centre for the Written Word in South Shields. We are excited by the Council’s ambition to create a library for the future – a destination in the heart of Nottingham city centre to inspire visitors of all ages.”

You can see images of the interior of The National Centre for the Written Word in South Shields below.