ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, the four elements of ‘places, partners, programmes and people’ were identified as being central to the design brief. As with any public facility, locational issues are crucial to the success of any new-build development. Most of the newer libraries occupy key city-centre sites as part of their role in urban renewal. A number have benefited directly or indirectly from planning gain agreements, land swaps, funding from major developers and other financial arrangements made with private sector bodies and development agencies, which have helped provide them with strategic city-centre sites where they operate as part of the retail/cultural mix. Furthermore, the new open plan spaces of the modern library often continue the life of the street and the public domain. Younger people, especially, are drawn to modern design and bold interiors, and are becoming more committed library users. Many newer libraries, both large and small, also incorporate space and facilities for other activities, whether drop-in clinics, complementary medicine services, art galleries, recording studios, performance spaces, local radio stations and a variety of other services wishing to ‘co-locate’ in the new facility.
