BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL LIBRARY - 2

By Esther Boyd on Aug 24, 09 07:36 PM

I asked the Friends of the Central Library to respond to Gemma's comment (see comment column), which ends:
"Its an embarrasment to Birmingham and is definately not worth saving."

Alan Clawley sent the following to post on my blog:

"I agree that the Central Library is an embarrassment but only because it has been disgracefully neglected by its owners, the City Council.

No-one should be allowed to discard a building just because it is unfashionable or considered by some to be ugly.

If we did that, few buildings would be left standing.

Large quantities of energy were used in building the Library and even more will be used to demolish it and build a new one.

This contradicts the council's own policy of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide as most energy still comes from fossil fuels.

And there will probably be as many people who dislike the design of the new library as there are who dislike the old one.

Friends of the Central Library has discredited all of the council's arguments for demolishing the Central Library ("falling down", "too small", "not flexible" etc) , but the one that remains is that it stands in the way of Argent plc's ambition to redevelop Paradise Circus with offices and shops.

The campaign can be followed in detail on "The Stirrer" website .

Do you want more City Centre shops, and more City Centre offices - and a new Library for at least £193,000,000?

Check the official Birmingham library website and judge for yourself if this would be money (Birmingham City Council Taxpayers' money) well spent.

Do you agree with Alan Clawley, that there will probably be as many people who dislike the design of the new library as there are people who dislike the old one?