Tuesday 4 June 2013

Stockport Central Library


The library on the corner of Wellington Road South and St Petersgate was founded in 1913 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie and designed by Bradshaw Gass & Hope of Bolton. A listed building, it is considered a good example of a Carnegie Library with many features typical of the building type.

The library is built of red brick and Portland stone in a Baroque/Renaissance style with a corner dome and a tall finial to the corner of St Petersgate. There is a five-window range flanked by a bay to the south which is framed by banded pilasters and has a tall arched window, cornice and cartouche in the frieze. At the other end a similar bay contains the main entrance. It has an attic storey with small windows and a rusticated basement taking the fall of the land. The corner domed bay has banded pilasters, and the elevation to St Petersgate is broadly similar to the Wellington Street South elevation.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

8 comments:

  1. Handsome structure. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carnegie's buildings were so wide ranging in style from very simple (we have one in Patterson with quiet, simple lines to the very ornate, like yours. The one thing they all have in common is great style and presence.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a handsome structure. I would venture a guess that the interior is just as striking as the exterior.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a magnificent building. I has lots of character.

    ReplyDelete