Birmingham council and Argent have chosen Dutch architect Mecanoo to design the new Birmingham Library.
Mecanoo beat six other rival architects including Foreign Office Architects, Hopkins Architects and Foster and Partners.
The library, which will be located in Centenary Square next to the Repertory Theatre, will form the centrepiece of the council and Argent’s 2m sq ft mixed-use Paradise Circus.
Birmingham council leader Mike Whitby said Mecanoo was the ‘perfect choice’ to help deliver the new library for the city.
As well as designing facilities and layouts within the new library itself, Mecanoo will also design a number of features to be shared with the REP including a new auditorium, café, entrance area.
Francine Houben, who heads Mecanoo, said: “It is a challenge to realise this major project on Centenary Square. It’s not only an academic, abstract, beautiful building, but I really want to make it a people’s palace. That’s my dream.”
Plans for the new building are due to be unveiled in mid-2009. Construction work is expected to start in 2010 and completion is scheduled for 2013.
The existing 1970s brutalist-style library is currently subject to a listing process. Culture minister Margaret Hodge is to take a decision on listing the building later this year.
If listing is granted, this will seriously affect the prospects for Argent’s scheme, which could be reduced in size from a current 2m sq ft to as little as 200,000 sq ft.
Buildings designed by Mecanoo include the National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Center in Taiwan and the library for the Technical University in Delft.
One design, the Learning Center for the École Polytechnique in Lausanne, revolves at 15 degrees per hour – the same speed as the Earth.
