In the heart of Liverpool City Centre is Liverpool Library, located on William Brown Street – an area known for it’s outstanding architecture and culture. When first built and opened in 1860, the original buildings were joined with those of the World Museum Liverpool. The opening ceremony itself attracted over Four Hundred Thousand visitors! The architect was Thomas Allom, famous for his church designs and original founding member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He planned the building in the popular classical style with Corinthian columns similar in design to those of St George’s Hall, which is just down the road.

At the outbreak of war in 1939, it was decided that all rare and priceless artworks, artefacts and books were to be protected in bunkers underneath the city, which was fortunate as the library and museum were badly damaged with incendiary devices a few years later. After the war, the main buildings were refurbished and repaired and several new buildings built in the style of the era to expand on the services which the library could provide. Now in the Twenty-First century these buildings are again set for refurbishment and the newer buildings demolished to make way for state of the art facilities to reflect the advances made in technology since post-war Britain. The refurbishment is set to last until 2012, when the library will be fully opened to the public.

Read more about the history of this building and information about scheduling a visit