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Revamped library unveiled after facade restoration

Josh SandifordWest Midlands
News imageCity of Wolverhampton Council The main entrance of Wolverhampton Central Library seen from street level, looking up at the ornate first-floor façade. A colourful royal coat of arms sits centrally above the 'Central Library' lettering, flanked by carved stone lions. City of Wolverhampton Council
The restored front of Wolverhampton Central Library

Scaffolding has been removed from Wolverhampton Central Library after months of work, revealing the Grade II*-listed building's newly restored facade.

The work, part of the city's £61m Learning Quarter programme, has included replacing the roof, renewing leadwork and replacing the main spire.

It follows the ground floor adult lending library re-opening in January with new flooring, shelving and the creation of a new rear entrance lobby.

Internal remodelling of the 1970s extension to the rear of the library was completed last year, providing new first-floor offices and ground floor space for book deliveries, sorting and collections.

Chris Burden, the council's cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills, said the library was "an important architectural landmark at the heart of our city".

"It is great to see it so sensitively restored and preserved for the future," he said.

News imageCity of Wolverhampton Council A close-up view looking upward at the roofline of Wolverhampton Central Library, showing the newly replaced copper spire. The red brick and yellow terracotta dressings of the gable are sharp against a pale blue sky.City of Wolverhampton Council
The library's newly replaced copper spire

Burden added the improvement works were "integral" to the City Learning Quarter vision alongside a new City of Wolverhampton College campus which opened to students in November.

"Together they will provide state-of-the-art facilities in the city centre and improve life chances for people of all ages through learning, apprenticeship and employment offers," he continued.

Further works include the refurbishment of Adult Education Wolverhampton's Alan Garner Building on Old Hall Street and the construction of a two-storey glazed link building to connect it directly to the library's 1930s extension.

News imageCity of Wolverhampton Council The upper section of Wolverhampton Central Library's red brick façade, photographed from below against a clear blue sky. Three first-floor windows with leaded glass are framed by ornate yellow terracotta surrounds, each bearing a poet's name - Shelley, Byron and Spenser. City of Wolverhampton Council
The restored façade features the names of poets carved into terracotta dressings

The overall redevelopment, carried out by main contractor Speller Metcalfe alongside specialist heritage contractor Midland Conservation Ltd, aims to create a "modernised, accessible and digitally enabled" central library alongside expanded adult education provision.

It was supported by council investment with a further £49m from the government plus additional grants and contributions from the college and council.

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