ABSTRACT
Situated in the centre of the historical and vibrant port city of Waterford in the south-east of Ireland, the original Waterford Municipal Library was an imposing but compact building symbolizing in its structure much of the character and personality of the city itself. On the 19 October 1903, the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie laid the foundation stone for the Carnegie Library in Waterford, following his pledge of a grant of £5000 for the building. He received the freedom of the City of Waterford on that date. Waterford was a growing city in the 1990s, and it was clear that the Carnegie Library could neither accommodate the book stock nor facilitate the expansion of services, including IT services and new media. In August 1995, Waterford Corporation advertised for a consultant architect to submit plans for the design and construction of an extension to the Carnegie Library.
