The Leeds Laidlaw Library won an esteemed architecture award last night. The 21st century building design is full of geometric shapes and crisp sharp edges on it exterior. The building sticks out from its surroundings of ecclesiastical design full of traditional arches and spires.
The building demands attention and that is exactly what it got, Laidlaw Library won a prestigious award from RIBA (The Royal Institute of British Architects), the building won the RIBA Yorkshire Award with the judges describing the design of the building as elegant and precise. The building stands fit for purpose and it’s state of the art design also takes into account the members who use the building and the staff who work in it. The design has been praised as a hugely accomplished piece of architecture. There’s no doubt that the building is worthy of such praise as the original brief dictated that the design be ‘State-of-the-art and IT-rich’ library. The building sits of the site of a former car park and was a much needed addition to the 1930’s Brotherton Library and the 1970’s Edward Boyle Library.
ADP, a Manchester based company designed and created a concept that includes new technology, art, culture, and a little bit of Harry Potter inspiration.
The university wanted to see the building to be eco-friendly and so the design incorporated various designs into it including electricity generated by solar panels providing underfloor hearing and low energy LED lighting. The concrete frame is used as a heat sink, moderating day time temperatures and releasing heat of cooler evenings.
Staff and students stated the intuitive layout makes a major difference to the everyday needs of students. The design also incorporates a rooftop garden that has 3 hives on top of and allows for a great environment for the bees to thrive, extra income may possibly be generated as a result of the honey.
The investment in Laidlaw library cost around £16m with £9m coming from a former student, Irvine Laidlaw. Upto 2,300 alumni and friends also donated and had their names listed on a donor wall and some of them had their memories of their university life etched into the glass “River of Quotes” installation.
