Withington Library

Withington Library purpose‑built and funded partly from money donated by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, opened its doors on 30 May 1927.

The new building will have a children’s room, reading room and study room besides a fan-shaped library to be arranged on the open access system. This will give room enough for eight to ten thousand volumes. ... The site is a triangular one, flanked by Wilmslow Road and Withington Road, its apex looking down Palatine Road. Plans for the building, which will cover this space have not been offered for competition but have been prepared in the City Architect’s office. The main door will face south to the apex of the triangle and will lead into a hexagonal hall. On the arm to the right will lie the children’s room, and on the left the reading room. The library will occupy the remainder of the triangle except for spaces to be used as a librarian’s room and a study room. The two larger rooms are to be 63 feet long and 24 feet wide. The building will be single storey with a short flat-toped tower rising from the hall. The entrance block itself will be all of stone and a few feet lower than the rest of the building, which will be of brick with Portland stone dressings. The cost of the building has been estimated at £14,000. Towards this the Carnegie Trust has promised £5,000. [Manchester Guardian 13 November 1924 page 11]

WITHINGTON LIBRARY - This building, designed by Mr. Henry Price, the City Architect of Manchester, is a highly attractive composition, in which full advantage is taken of the corner site. Entering by a vestibule, we proceed to a lofty hexagonal hall which, although of small area on plan, amply suffices to give access to five rooms, of which the largest is the lending library immediately opposite the entrance. This is of triangular shape, and, besides being illuminated by a series- of windows on the curved frontage towards the rear, has six circular top lights. The bookshelves radiate towards the entrance, where counters for the staff are conveniently placed. To the right and left of this central apartment are the general reading room and juvenile room respectively, both fine rectangular rooms with rows of tall windows towards the street. The hall also gives access to a study and to the librarian’s private room. At the far end of the three large rooms are doors leading to cloakrooms, lavatories and separate entrances for the staff and workrooms. The plan is admirable in its apparent inevitability. The elevations also reflect the ordered simplicity of the plan and display an admirable formality. The entrance portico is pedimented and set between two blank wall faces relieved by decorative panels, while the requisite focal interest to the whole building is provided by the hexagonal tower over the hall, which is surmounted by a tall stone parapet. The flanks of the building form symmetrical compositions of which the centre portions are higher than the wings. The fagades are of sand-faced brick and Portland stone. This is an example of a small public building excellently planned and imbued with an appropriate architectural character. The general contractors -were Messrs. C. H. Normanton & Son, Ltd., Plymouth Grove, Manchester. The sub-contractors included: Mr. F. C. Heys, Clarence Road, Longsight (fittings carried out in polished oak); Messrs. Van Kannel Revolving Door Co. (1926), Ltd. (entrance doors); Messrs. Elliott, Ellis & Co., Manchester (heating); Messrs. S. Oakley & Sons, Manchester (plumber work); Messrs. Conway & Co., Manchester (wall tiling and terrazzo paving); Messrs. J. Broomhead & Sons, Ltd., Salford (plaster work and painting); Messrs. R. H. Clampett, Paton Street, Piccadilly (electric lighting); Messrs. Robinson & Kershawr, Manchester (smith and ironfounder work); executors of Alex. Mackay, Oldham (mason work).

Reference           Manchester Guardian 13 November 1924 page 11
Reference           Architect and Building News 18 November 1927 page 789-790