When you think of libraries, majestic Hogwarts-esque buildings or pieces of grey Brutalist architecture probably spring to mind. But Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) is going against the grain and is set to build a very wacky-looking ‘zig-zag’ library.
The uni has just been granted planning permission for a new state of the art lib that bosses have called a ‘library fit for the twenty-first century’. The eye-catching new build will replace the current library on Oxford Road, which is next to the city centre motorway, and be decked out with huge glass panels and loads of circular windows (they’re giving polka dot).
Inside, there’s gonna be ‘digitally-enabled teaching and research facilities’ that are meant to help improve students’ data science and analytical skills, plus ‘break-out spaces’ built to encourage group work and collaboration.
As well as the stuff for students, the library will be home to the university’s Special Collection Museum and the Manchester Poetry Library, which is the first public poetry library in the north-west. The public will also be able to enjoy access to event spaces and a gallery.
It’s hoped that MMU’s library will be ready by spring 2028. The news comes after a huge revamp was announced for the John Rylands Library, one of the city’s most magnificant uni libraries. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the eccentric new building on Time Out’s list of Manchester’s must-visit libraries in four years time, eh?
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