Construction of the top of the new build element of the scheme is now complete and includes a brand new 1,880sq ft glass dome which is 26 metres above ground level, and a beautiful roof terrace which overlooks the city.
The £50 million scheme began in the autumn of 2010 and so far work has included demolishing the 1950s Brown Library and the 1978 extension. Nearing completion is a new building behind the original listed historic façade which was damaged in World War II and suffered from damp. Final fittings and fixtures are taking place in the Picton and Hornby libraries, the Oak Room and the Clayton Stack.
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In the Picton Reading Room, the intricate domed ceiling has been painstakingly restored and all the timber bookcases repaired. Thousands of hours of work have also gone in to matching plaster and paint as close to the originals used when the dome was built in 1875.
Finishing touches are now being made to the main library room, ramps in the children's library are being installed and landscaping outside the venue is also taking place. The literary wall is in place and can be seen at the back of the building and the ground is currently being prepared at the front of the venue for the installation of the literary pavement – a 22 metre long, 4.5meter wide walkway which will have engraved on it titles from world books, cinema and music which have been selected by local people.
Main contractor Shepherd Construction are responsible for the building work including the full restoration of the Grade II listed parts of the building, which date back to 1860, and the famous Hornby Library and Oak Reading Rooms will be fully open to the public for the first time.
(CD/GK)
