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| Photo by Nicholas Sinclair |
Photo by
Lomax, Cassidy & Edwards |
Photo by Demco |
Photo by
Lomax, Cassidy & Edwards |
| Please click on an image to enlarge it |
Jubilee Library, Brighton & Hove’s new central library opened on March 3 2005 - World Book Day. An initial week of high profile author events and activities kicked off ‘The Word’ a year-long Arts Council funded programme of events celebrating the many and varied pleasures of words.
From these pages you can find out more about the design and organisation of the building.
For other information about services available, opening times and location plese go back to the main Jubilee Library page
A Library for the 21st century
Jubilee Library is a £14 million landmark building and forms the focus of the new £50 million Jubilee square development. Innovative and modern it is one of the most energy efficient public buildings in the country taking advantage of natural energy provided by sunshine and wind. Its magnificent glass south-facing frontage links the inside and outside spaces. The large west wall is clad with thousands of dark blue and green hand-glazed ceramic tiles, recalling the ‘mathematical' tiles on many historic Brighton buildings. Inspiration for the library's ‘cathedral-like' interior has been drawn from the 19th century Paris libraries the Bibliotheque Nationale and the Bibliotheque Sainte Geneviève with their tall, columned spaces. There are three art installations commissioned for the project-‘Wall of a thousand stories' by Kate Malone, for the Children's Library, made up of imaginative ceramic wall plaques to inspire story-telling; a suspended cut paper installation by Georgia Russell for the foyer; and seating that lights up at night by Caroline Barton for the square.
The overall Jubilee Square project is still being completed. Further stages are provision of private housing in summer 2005, shops and restaurants September 2005 and finally a ‘My Hotel’ due late in 2007. A café and a major retail unit in/adjoining the library will be a part of this. Jubilee Street, linking the two major roads to the east and west of the library, Church Street and North Road was reinstated with vehicular access and disabled parking bays in December 2005.
Back to main Jubilee Library page
