Case Studies

Case studies from Designing Libraries' sponsors, showcasing some of the latest library building transformation projects.

Fore Street Library, Enfield, London, UK
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.
Public Special
Everyspace, Cambridgeshire, UK
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
Makerspace Public
Ballymoney Library
Ballymoney Library
We're thrilled to showcase Ballymoney’s transformed spaces! Now a vibrant hub where stories come to life and creativity thrives!
Public
Southmead Public Library, Bristol
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.
Public
Birmingham City University
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
Academic
Haltwhistle Primary School
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.
Academic
Aquinas Sixth Form College
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.
Academic
Henrietta Barnett School
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.
Academic
Carlton Primary School
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.
Academic
Newcastle Prep Primary School
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.
Academic
Cwm Glas Primary School Swansea
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.
Academic
Morna International College Ibiza
Morna International College Ibiza
FG Library & Learning's experience was called upon to design a brand new library situated within a new extension at Morna International College, Ibiza.
Academic
International School of Prague
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.
Academic
The Ruth Gorse Academy Library Leeds
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
Academic
Idea Store Watney Market
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.
Public Special
Canada Water Library
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.
Public
Woking Library
Woking Library
Woking's flagship library is Surrey's largest and busiest library with a clear vision for the facilities, aesthetics and visitor experience.
Public
Wakefield One
Wakefield One
The new library in the Wakefield One city centre service hub.
Public
Bridgeton Library, Glasgow
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.
Public
Bracknell Library
Bracknell Library
Working closely with the library's dedicated and passionate team thedesignconcept created an inviting space that encourages users to relax and linger.
Public
Craigmillar Library Edinburgh
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.
Public
Derbyshire Record Office
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
Public Special
Kendal Library
Kendal Library
A public library design project to incorporate existing shelving and introduce modern technology solutions.
Public
Bullwell and Riverside
Bullwell and Riverside
A public library was relocated as part of a £23 million project to provide a new joint service centre.
Public
Shirley Library Solihull
Shirley Library Solihull
A design and bespoke furnishing project for Solihull Council that brought the street - and its streetwise readers - into the library.
Public
Claude Ramsey Library Greenwich
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.
Public
Barrow Central Library
Barrow Central Library
The total renovation of Barrow Central Library, Cumbria, was set in a Grade II listed Beaux-Arts style building.
Public
City Library Bradford
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.
Public
Bromsgrove Library
Bromsgrove Library
Working with a limited furniture budget FG Library & Learning achieved excellent value for money without compromising the overall vision for the library.
Public
Palmers Green Library Enfield
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.
Public
Johnstone Public Library
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
Public
Greenwich Centre Library
Greenwich Centre Library
Thedesignconcept introduced stimulating and inspirational furniture, gadget bars and digital technology to this exciting library space.
Public
Plymouth Central Library
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.
Public
National Railway Museum Archives
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.
Public Special
Gwent Archives
Gwent Archives
Harrow Green planned and carried out the sequential move of 7km of archival material to a new home for Gwent Archives.
Special
Blyth Family History Library
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.
Public Special
Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre
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.
Public
Grantown Library Highland
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.
Public
Edmonton Green Library Enfield
Edmonton Green Library Enfield
The Edmonton Centre brings together a completely refurbished library set over two floors and the council's Customer Access facilities.
Public
Moulton Library Northamptonshire
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.
Public
Sutton Central Library
Sutton Central Library
A building with generous space that was previously underutilised, has been transformed by producing exciting designs and concepts for the space
Public
Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub Warrington
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.
Public Special
Woodseats Library Sheffield
Woodseats Library Sheffield
Woodseats library forms part of a new community hub, offering a contemporary and inviting space for everyone.
Public
Chelmsford Library
Chelmsford Library
Chelmsford Library's new children's space and families hub is it at the heart of the city's family support services.
Public
Huddersfield Central Library
Huddersfield Central Library
Transforming the Lending Library into a flexible space within the constraints of its listed building status: a case study.
Public
Rugby Library and Makerspace
Rugby Library and Makerspace
As part of the Warwickshire Framework agreement Thedesignconcept fitted out Rugby Library and introduced a Makerspace
Public Makerspace
New library for Cornwall
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.
Public
Newport Pagnell Library
Newport Pagnell Library
Newport Pagnell Library, Milton Keynes, opened to the public in December 2019 following refurbishment by thedesignconcept
Public
Carmarthen Library Wales
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.
Public
 Ingersoll Public Library Canada
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.
Public
Mountain Ash Library Wales
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
Public
Worthing Library
Worthing Library
How Worthing Library was refurbished and transformed into a community hub, bringing various services under one roof
Public
Greenhill Library Harrow
Greenhill Library Harrow
How Greenhill Library was transformed into a multi-purpose community, cultural and learning facility
Public
Malton Library North Yorkshire
Malton Library North Yorkshire
Transformation of Malton's 1960s library, which sees 1,000 visitors a week, and is integral to the local community.
Public
Neath Library Wales
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!
Public
City of Bristol College
City of Bristol College
A college library modernisation and transformation project with access to IT provision throughout and clearly identifiable study zones.
Academic
Bournemouth and Poole College
Bournemouth and Poole College
A project by FG Library & Learning for two campus sites at Bournemouth & Poole College shows how modern design can create flexible learning spaces.
Academic
St Mary's University Naylor Library
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.
Academic
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
The University of Bedfordshire recently invested £46m in a new state-of-the-art library at its Luton campus.
Academic
John Rylands Library
John Rylands Library
The safe, secure and accurate relocation of the John Rylands Library's entire collection from historic building into store and its return five years later.
Academic
Lancaster University
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
Academic
Access control at IALS
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.
Academic Special
Wick Library, Highland
Wick Library, Highland
A challenging and innovative design solution to deliver a flexible space which works for a wide range of customers.
Public Academic

Submit a Case Study

We are always looking for new case studies please use the form to contact us and we will give you instructions on how to submit your case study