- Bridlington Central Library
- The transformation has resulted in a vibrant, multi-functional environment that serves as a true community hub
Case Studies
Case studies from Designing Libraries' sponsors, showcasing some of the latest library building transformation projects.
- Corwen Library Transformation
- Creating a welcoming, flexible and community-focused library space
- Transforming Kilburn Library into a Modern Community Hub
- Showing how collaborative design, practical planning and creative thinking can deliver a space that is both inspiring and commercially sustainable
- Dover Library
- A community landmark reimagined
- Transforming Wolverhampton Central Library
- A sympathetic refurbishment of a Grade II-Listed Carnegie Building
- Oulu Central Saari Library, Finland
- Exemplary Reuse of 20th Century Rationalist Architecture in Finland
- The Medicine+Science Library at the National University of Singapore
- Redesigning for Community and Institutional Purpose
- Aberaeron Library, Ceredigion, Wales
- The new Aberaeron Library is not just a relocation – it is a reinvention, providing a brighter, larger, and more
- Oldham Library
- Oldham Library, one of the UK’s busiest, serves a diverse community. Opened in 2006, its ground floor was refreshed to meet evolving needs.
- Kinmel Bay, Llanfairfechan and Uwchaled Libraries, Conwy, Wales
- Three small libraries in North Wales — big design challenges, passionate volunteers and proof that every decision matters when space is limited.
- Sale Library - Trafford
- From empty atrium to buzzing cultural hub – dramatic retail-style shelving, flexible event spaces and a vibrant children's library for Trafford Council
- A picture-perfect finish! The Revamp of Colchester Library is here
- Closing in September 2024, the long-awaited reopening of Colchester Library marks an exciting new chapter for the local community
- The Word South Shields Library
- Bruynzeel Storage Systems won the tender to supply all the shelving for the new library and local study centre in The Word
- Northmoor Library, Oldham
- Welcome to the future! Northmoor - a hub of opportunity
- Llanrwst Library, Wales
- A new community hub for rural Conwy when the building which had been the Glasdir Business and Conference Centre in Llanrwst became available.
- The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester
- Manchester’s renowned John Rylands Library celebrates its 125th anniversary with major refurb to display unseen treasures
- Danum Gallery Library Museum
- Opening the Book was excited to work with Doncaster MBC in creating the new Danum centre, bringing the Central Library, Museum & Art Gallery to one site.
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Library New Extension Floor
- Opened in 2022, the 6th floor extension of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Library includes distinct areas for both collaborative work and quiet study
- Henley Library, Henley-on-Thames
- Henley Library underwent a comprehensive refurbishment to transform it into a vibrant, accessible, and community-centred hub
- Gateshead Central Library MakerPlace
- At Gateshead Library, Opening the Book created a successful MakerPlace in their existing Sound Gallery.
- Holborn Library, Camden, London
- Where Retro Charm, Inclusive Design, And Cultural Legacy Come Together.
- Au Shue Hung Memorial Library, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Revitalising traditional stacks into inspiring study spaces
- Chorlton Library, Manchester
- Chorlton Library, a historic Grade II-listed landmark in Manchester has been meticulously refurbished to blend heritage with innovation.
- Bradfield College
- A distinguished independent boarding school near Reading, set out to transform a Grade II* listed church into an innovative Study Centre.
- The Amelia Scott Cultural and Learning Hub in Tunbridge Wells
- Transforming old buildings into a new cultural centre in Kent
- Ramsgate Library, Kent
- From Catastrophic Fire to a Modern Marvel
- St Helier Children's Library, Jersey
- Updating a much-loved children's library
- Mapplewell and Staincross Library, Barnsley
- The expansion and redesign of the facility bring new opportunities for learning, engagement, and relaxation to the heart of the community
- Chellaston Academy Library, Derby
- A dynamic hub for collaboration, creativity, and independent study
- Thornhill Primary School Library, Islington, London, UK
- The new library makes use of a former undercroft to create a multifunctional space for browsing, readings, performance and role play.
- Fore Street Library, Enfield, London, UK
- Fore Street Living Room Library, a flexible retro-fit is opening up new possibilities for a much-loved library to support local culture & community events.
- Everyspace, Cambridgeshire, UK
- Everyspace is a council initiative working with local people to transform existing libraries into versatile spaces that expand the library’s functionality
- Ballymoney Library
- We're thrilled to showcase Ballymoney’s transformed spaces! Now a vibrant hub where stories come to life and creativity thrives!
- Macmillan Hub Library - North Edinburgh Arts
- Creative, Connected, Inspired! The new library and space for North Edinburgh Arts ensures a future for a creative, connected and inspired community.
- Elder Park Library and Community Hub, Glasgow
- Respect, Revitalize, Rejuvenate - We believe in respecting the story of the building, the history and the community!
- Southmead Public Library, Bristol
- The challenge was to design an ambitious community-run space as part of a larger, long-term regeneration plan for Southmead, Bristol.
- The International School of Port of Spain, Trindad and Tobago
- The International School of Port of Spain (ISPS) sought to create a modern and versatile library space catering to the diverse needs of its student body.
- The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) Library
- CERN one of the world's largest & most respected centres for scientific research chose FG Library to design, manufacture & install their library
- Darlington Public Library
- The Perfect Modern Classic
- Paisley Central Library
- Revitalizing Paisley: Award-Winning Library Project Breathes New Life Into Town Centre
- Birmingham City University
- Birmingham City University (BCU) makes the most of agile and flexible working with LapSafe's largest installation of their self-service laptop loan lockers
- Haltwhistle Primary School
- The school is located near the famous landmark Hadrian's Wall, which was chosen as the theme for this primary school library.
- Aquinas Sixth Form College
- Aquinas Sixth Form College underwent a complete rebuild programme to take a fresh look at shaping student learning and support outside the classroom.
- Hurstpierpoint College
- Furniture and shelving solution for a new academic and creative hub.
- Henrietta Barnett School
- The Henrietta Barnett School is a state grammar school for girls located in the Hampstead Garden Suburb Conservation Area of North London.
- Carlton Primary School
- A breath of fresh air for a tired library space that is now an inspiring reading place for pupils in this Wakefield village setting.
- Intake Primary School Doncaster
- Intake Primary strives to create a positive, stimulating environment, where there is a real sense of belonging.
- Newcastle Prep Primary School
- The school's aim was to bring their library to life with the use of bright, contemporary colours and introduce a woodland theme to the space.
- Halton Lodge Primary School Runcorn
- Halton Lodge Primary School craved a fresh and exciting design for the thoroughfare of their school.
- Cwm Glas Primary School Swansea
- Cwm Glas is a busy and exciting primary school in Swansea which seeks to encourage pupils to achieve personal excellence and their full potential.
- Morna International College Ibiza
- FG Library's experience was called upon to design a brand new library situated within a new extension at Morna International College, Ibiza.
- International School of Prague
- Despite the pandemic, the International School of Prague used the 2020 summer to make improvements to its campus, including the Learning Innovation Hub.
- Hillbourne Primary School New Library
- From render to reality...
- Idsall School Library Shropshire
- Made to empower young people to explore literature, expand their horizons and improve literacy.
- St Stephen's Primary Church School Library Bath
- A fresh, welcoming library space where children can relax and engage in reading for pleasure
- The Ruth Gorse Academy Library Leeds
- A space that promotes inclusiveness and wellbeing for students in order to promote peaceful study, reading for pleasure and careers support
- Dorking Library
- A popular public library moves into new premises.
- Idea Store Watney Market
- Bisset Adams was architect and lead consultant on an ambitious, Big Lottery funded Idea Store on the Commercial Road at Watney Market.
- Canada Water Library
- The Canada Water landmark aluminium clad public library, shaped like an inverted pyramid, was designed to house 40,000 books and 2,500 DVDs.
- Woking Library
- Woking's flagship library is Surrey's largest and busiest library with a clear vision for the facilities, aesthetics and visitor experience.
- Wakefield One
- The new library in the Wakefield One city centre service hub.
- Bridgeton Library, Glasgow
- The iconic Olympia cinema site in Bridgeton has been restored to its former glory with the new library as the focal point of this regeneration initiative.
- Bracknell Library
- Working closely with the library's dedicated and passionate team thedesignconcept created an inviting space that encourages users to relax and linger.
- Craigmillar Library Edinburgh
- The Craigmillar Library in Edinburgh has brought new hope and spirit to an area seeing renewed investment, with many services brought under one roof.
- Derbyshire Record Office
- Situated in a Victorian building spread over three floors, the new-look Record Office brings Derbyshire's past to life for residents, visitors and students
- Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill Library
- An exemplification of future trends in libraries that featured as a case study at the 2013 Edge Conference in Edinburgh.
- Kendal Library
- A public library design project to incorporate existing shelving and introduce modern technology solutions.
- Barrow Central Library
- The total renovation of Barrow Central Library, Cumbria, was set in a Grade II listed Beaux-Arts style building.
- City Library Bradford
- When asbestos was discovered in Bradford Central Library in 2012, the Council decided to move to a new smaller site in Centenary Square.
- Billingham Library and Customer Service Centre
- A £2.7 million Library and Customer Service Centre in Stockton on Tees, has opened on the site of the town's former Art Gallery and Council offices.
- Bromsgrove Library
- Working with a limited furniture budget FG Library achieved excellent value for money without compromising the overall vision for the library.
- Palmers Green Library Enfield
- After a year-long closure, the library opened its doors to a multitude of new features installed over the library's two floors.
- Johnstone Public Library
- Within days of the handover to Renfrew Council Johnstone Town Hall was awarded 'Development of the Year (Public Buildings)' at the Scottish Property Awards
- Greenwich Centre Library
- Thedesignconcept introduced stimulating and inspirational furniture, gadget bars and digital technology to this exciting library space.
- Plymouth Central Library
- Plymouth City Council's decision to relocate the library to the heart of the city was a strong influence on the design idea for the space.
- National Railway Museum Archives
- Behind the scenes at the NRM lies a vast railway archive and library, holding a unique accumulation of knowledge about the history of the railway.
- Gwent Archives
- Harrow Green planned and carried out the sequential move of 7km of archival material to a new home for Gwent Archives.
- Blyth Family History Library
- A project to refurbish the existing family history area to house both lending and research materials at Blyth Library in Northumberland.
- Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre
- Merthyr created a recreational reading offer to enhance the services at the Leisure Centre, a short walk from the town and its busy Central Library.
- Denny Library Falkirk
- A bright, welcoming, modern library for the people of Falkirk.
- Wick Library, Highland
- A challenging and innovative design solution to deliver a flexible space which works for a wide range of customers.
- Grantown Library Highland
- Grantown Library is situated in Grantown-on-Spey, a small, popular holiday town in the Highlands, with a population of around two and a half thousand.
- Edmonton Green Library Enfield
- The Edmonton Centre brings together a completely refurbished library set over two floors and the council's Customer Access facilities.
- The Dales Centre Nottinghamshire
- The Dales Centre was built as a hub to amalgamate Sneinton and Bakersfield districts of Nottingham.
- Moulton Library Northamptonshire
- Moulton Library is a bright, colourful and vibrant space catering to the requirements of children under 5 to the elderly and dementia sufferers.
- Sutton Central Library
- A building with generous space that was previously underutilised, has been transformed by producing exciting designs and concepts for the space
- Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub Warrington
- Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub, Warrington, is seeking accreditation as the UK's first fully integrated dementia-friendly library and leisure building.
- Woodseats Library Sheffield
- Woodseats library forms part of a new community hub, offering a contemporary and inviting space for everyone.
- Chelmsford Library
- Chelmsford Library's new children's space and families hub is it at the heart of the city's family support services.
- Huddersfield Central Library
- Transforming the Lending Library into a flexible space within the constraints of its listed building status: a case study.
- Lichfield Library at St Mary's Centre
- The challenge was to create a contemporary library space in a historic church setting, a challenge admirably met by Opening the Book.
- The Riverside Haverfordwest Wales
- Glan-yr-Afon (The Riverside) is an innovative new cultural centre in the heart of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
- Rugby Library and Makerspace
- As part of the Warwickshire Framework agreement Thedesignconcept fitted out Rugby Library and introduced a Makerspace
- Edwinstowe Library Nottinghamshire
- Designing a library for greater usage and better stock performance, and open up space for community use
- Library @ the Lightbox Barnsley
- Open to the public on 13th July 2019, Library @ theLightbox, Barnsley has become the cornerstone of the town
- New library for Cornwall
- A derelict brewery in Redruth Cornwall has been transformed into a modern archive and library space, with £11.7m funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
- Newport Pagnell Library
- Newport Pagnell Library, Milton Keynes, opened to the public in December 2019 following refurbishment by thedesignconcept
- Carmarthen Library Wales
- Carmarthen Library re-opened with state-of-the-art technology, more study space and improved stockholding, following a £2.6 million investment.
- Ingersoll Public Library Canada
- Ingersoll Public Library is one of two large branches in the Oxford County Library system, Southwestern Ontario. It's now a much brighter & livelier space.
- Norbury Library, Croydon
- The newly refurbished library has re-opened in its carefully restored 1930s building.
- Milton Public Library Sherwood Branch
- The Milton Public Library located in Milton, Ontario has been an integral part of the community since 1855.
- Southend University and Public Library
- The Forum, a four storey, multi-million-pound integrated public and academic library serves the community in Southend, Essex
- The Storyhouse Chester
- Cinema, theatre, and library space
- Mountain Ash Library Wales
- The Mountain Ash library space in Rhondda Cyon Taf is in the heart of the town and benefits from a central location next door to the Community Hub
- Pontypridd Library Wales
- The award-winning £38 million community flagship development in Pontypridd
- Treorchy Library Wales
- A new welcoming public library and community space to accomodate all ages
- The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library Dubai
- Cultural landmark to home over a million titles!
- Eltham Public Library Greenwich London
- Upcycled and new colourful features
- Worthing Library
- How Worthing Library was refurbished and transformed into a community hub, bringing various services under one roof
- Greenhill Library Harrow
- How Greenhill Library was transformed into a multi-purpose community, cultural and learning facility
- Our Lady’s R.C. High School Manchester
- Designing a modern, dynamic library and learning centre for a brand-new secondary school in Manchester
- Malton Library North Yorkshire
- Transformation of Malton's 1960s library, which sees 1,000 visitors a week, and is integral to the local community.
- Neath Library Wales
- The main part of the project was the children's library which now incorporates a space themed area, and sensory Story Wall!
- Raimbeaucourt Library France
- A welcoming community space for the city of Raimbeaucourt
- Welwyn Garden City Library Hertfordshire
- From author talks to baby rhyme times, there are events for everyone at this library.
- St Paul's Cray Library Bromley
- Library Refurbishment in Bromley Delights the Community!
- Skiptvet Public Library Norway
- Central Library In Skiptvet Municipality
- Taastrup Public Library Denmark
- All round library for everyone!
- Halsnaes Public Library Denmark
- The library brings nature inside
- Sint Pieters Leeuw Public Library Belgium
- Comfortable library with character
- Niort Public Library France
- Beautiful new space
- Little Lever Health Centre and Library Bolton
- A modern library at the heart of the community
- Peckham Library London
- A welcoming community space in the heart of Peckham…
- City of Bristol College
- A college library modernisation and transformation project with access to IT provision throughout and clearly identifiable study zones.
- Alan Gilbert Learning Commons
- The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons is a 21st century learning environment at the University of Manchester.
- Royal College of Nursing London
- The £4m refurbishment and re-plan of the Royal College of Nursing, led by Bisset Adams.
- St Patrick's College Dublin
- Sole supply commission for 1400 pieces of furniture for a leading teacher education college.
- Bournemouth and Poole College
- A project by FG Library for two campus sites at Bournemouth & Poole College shows how modern design can create flexible learning spaces.
- St Mary's University Naylor Library
- The Naylor Library is a newly refurbished building with over 250 extra study places to suit different working styles, alongside an on-site cafe.
- University of Bedfordshire
- The University of Bedfordshire recently invested £46m in a new state-of-the-art library at its Luton campus.
- Lancaster University
- A logistical project to relocate over 12,000 linear metres of books and stock, as well as a number of staff, while the University underwent renovations
- Writtle University College, Chelmsford
- Formerly an office block, the internal spaces were opened out to create four sociable study rooms available to students day and night.
- Access control at IALS
- A new Access Control System is introduced to IALS, along with a user room booking system and a major RFID stock conversion programme.
- Royal College of Surgeons Ireland Library: Revisit
- The Library of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) opened to much acclaim in 2017 and won the 2019 SCONUL Design Award - Small Library category.
- Woodlock Hall Library Dublin City University
- DCU Library service opened its third library building in January 2022 on the All Hallows Campus in Drumcondra on the Northside of Dublin City.
- Claude Ramsey Library Greenwich
- GLL and thedesignconcept worked together to fulfil a vision to break down boundaries between the co-located library and leisure centre.
- Bullwell and Riverside
- A public library was relocated as part of a £23 million project to provide a new joint service centre.
- Shirley Library Solihull
- A design and bespoke furnishing project for Solihull Council that brought the street - and its streetwise readers - into the library.
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