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Work is forging ahead at the City Library on Beyers
Naude Square to turn it into a state-of-the-art facility, with three new floors.
A WORLD-CLASS city needs a world-class library, right?
Well, Joburgers are getting one - the Johannesburg City Library is undergoing a
major revamp and will be re-opened in 2011.
Some of the 40km of book shelves in the central library
For some time, the library staff have wanted to
upgrade this solid, majestic building standing on the western edge of Beyers
Naude Square. Opened in 1935, with a top floor added shortly afterwards to
cater for the rapidly growing city, the library has up to two million books,
CDs, musical scores, maps, rare collections, patent records, government
publications, annual reports, SABS records and newspapers going back to the
1890s.
"In keeping with worldwide library trends in the
provision of information and new technological developments, the library is
endeavouring to attain the standards of a world-class city library," explains
Atilla Lourens, the deputy director of the City's library and information
services unit.
"The demands of living in the 21st century and
increasingly complex patron requirements have necessitated the upgrade to the
building, library systems and resources."
The building, of three-and-a-half storeys and several
basement levels, was designed by architect John Perry, who also designed the
Magistrates' Courts, several blocks to the west.
"His modern classicism was regarded as particularly
appropriate for civic architecture - weighty, clean-cut and beautifully
detailed with a fresh, recent (if not modern) look," writes Clive Chipkin in
Johannesburg Transition: architecture & society from 1950.
The building's distinctive three central arches open
into a double volume foyer, with marble staircases leading off it on either
side. Mezzanine levels add an unusual dimension, with balconies overlooking the
attractive foyer. The central and reference libraries on the ground floors also
contain double volume ceilings, giving these big spaces a grand, uplifting
appearance. Large windows in the foyer and libraries add to the grandness.
The double-volume foyer, with a hole in the middle to accommodate the new escalators
The impetus for the regeneration comes from a R12-million
donation from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This funding was used for
the acquisition of new books, subscription to online databases, digitisation
equipment, and staffing for the adding of resources to the library database.
"The corporation's ongoing contributions have provided
the catalyst for the implementation of the second phase of growth - the library
building upgrade and refurbishment," says Lourens.
Sub-libraries
The library consists of several sub-libraries within the building: the Harold
Strange Library of African Studies, the Johannesburg Reference Library, the
Michaelis Art Library, the Performing Arts Library, the Newspaper and Picture
Library, the Young Adults Reference Library, the Central Lending Library, the
Children's Library and Children's Book Collection.
"These collections are of particular significance
considering their breadth and depth and have given life and credence to the
motto engraved on the front of the library building ‘Libri thesaurus anim' -
‘Books are the treasure-house of the soul,'" says Lourens.
Described by conservation architect Jonathan Stone as
"part of city furniture", the library has not had a serious makeover for years.
Stone has been appointed to oversee the restoration and renovation, which will include
structural changes and the relocation of certain collections to different
floors.
"These will facilitate greater access to resources,
previously inaccessible to users, and a closer alignment of the collections,"
says Lourens.
Stone says the library is structurally a special,
robust building. "It's a strong, defendable face to the city."
Library theatre
An exciting aspect of the revamp is the re-instatement of the library theatre,
situated in the middle of the central courtyard. Closed 20 years ago, many
Joburgers will fondly remember coming to the children's theatre, with its
decorative concave ceiling and intimate ambience.
lThe library theatre in the central courtyard of the building
The major structural changes will take place above the
theatre. Three new floors of glass and steel are to be built within this
courtyard, increasing the library's capacity to offer wireless computer
facilities, as well as discussion rooms and exhibition space for the library's
special collections.
Stone says the theatre will get temporary seating,
making it a more flexible functional space. It will also have separate
entrances from Sauer Street, making it independent of the library for evening
functions and performances.
Steel mezzanine balconies will be added to the lending
and reference libraries on the ground floor, taking advantage of the double
volume ceiling to increase study space for students and researchers. All these
new areas will be fitted with internet access for laptops.
New escalators will be installed in the foyer, opening
up the different floors to one another, and giving the library a more modern,
user-friendly feel. "This central part of the building is more about the people
who use it. This noisy, people part in the middle will have no books in it,"
explains Stone.
Upgrades
In addition, the roof of the building, the guttering and the electrical system
will be upgraded. The firefighting installations have already been upgraded and
repaired. All old air conditioners have been removed, and demolition of the
lift shafts is complete, in preparation for the installation of new lifts.
All the sandstone, granite and brickwork will be
cleaned. All the changes will be made in accordance with heritage approval as
the building is more than 60 years old, and therefore is protected.
Stone says that the whole project shows respect for
the building's heritage. It is to become a "centre of excellence".
"The new facilities will bring a modern element to the
classical design of the current library, creating a seamless flow from the old
to the new structure," adds Lourens.
In preparation for the revamp, books, shelving and
furniture have been wrapped in plastic and secured against damage and dust.
By mid-October, 81 piles for the support of the new
three floors were complete. The sandstone entrance steps had been removed by an
expert stonemason for the temporary installation of a crane, which will be
necessary for the construction work inside the courtyard.
Most staff have been relocated to branch libraries,
which have been experiencing shortages. "A small committed group of staff
remains working in the underground stack, weeding, relocating, checking,
indexing and sorting resources for enhanced access," says Lourens.
Some R48-million has been budgeted for the upgrade and
additions.
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