Happy Birthday to The Hive

Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in July 2012, it was the first the first fully-integrated public and university library in Europe. The striking and sustainable gold-coloured building is a highly-popular focal point supporting community and student access to essential public services - including library, archives and archaeology services.

The Hive has won numerous awards for its design, sustainability and provision of inclusive services over the past decade. Its distinctive roofline, featuring seven irregular cones, mirrors both the nearby Malvern Hills and the kilns of the City’s Royal Worcester Porcelain works. It was a decade in the planning and the two-year construction programme was completed in January 2012.

“The Hive is a shining example of what can be achieved when organisations come together for the good of the wider community,” said Professor David Green CBE DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester. 

 “This transformative partnership has had a profound impact on the city, the wider region and many individuals. Over the past 10 years, it has become a real beacon of success, a place where children, students, business people and citizens can come to be inspired, to learn and to share.”

Carol Brown, Head of Libraries, Archive and Archaeology for Worcestershire County Council, said: “The Hive has reimagined what a library should be in the 21st Century, connecting and engaging communities, creating opportunities and promoting a love of learning. 

“By working together, the University and County Council teams have realised their shared belief that books, services, events and spaces should be equally available to everyone and created a cultural, learning and information centre of excellence.”