We held our first community consultation yesterday and we are very pleased with how many people dropped in to share their ideas and opinions with us. We will now collate the information, seek partnerships with groups who provide the activities you requested and work closely with our architect to develop floor plans based upon the achievable suggestions you have put forward. These plans will be presented at our next consultation event and will be open for discussion. A huge thank you to everyone who attended.
1: Hi Chris, Can you please tell us a little about yourself? I am originally from Liverpool and have worked with Buildings at Risk in the City since 2006. Before that I worked in Shrewsbury as Conservation Officer after graduating with an MA in architectural history from the Courtauld Institute in London in 2000. My wife Leti is Spanish and we have three children; Peter, Santiago and Sofía and we live in Formby. 2: You are currently working on the former Andrew Carnegie Library. Can you please tell us more about this project and the work you are doing there? The former Andrew Carnegie Library is a grade II building at risk. It is one of the finest suburban public libraries in England and the most expensive of the series of Shelmerdine libraries constructed by the Liverpool Corporation at the end of the Victorian era. This one is actually Edwardian, built in 1904-5. The library fell into disuse in 2006 and suffered lead theft and vandalism soon afterwards. Serious water ingress caused widespread dry rot infestation which is now being tackled by the first phase of urgent repairs. I am project managing these Conservation works funded by the Council in support of Lister Steps’ Stage 2 HLF bid. The works have already made a tremendous difference to the condition of the building and should serve to keep the building in a sound and stable condition in the period prior to full restoration works commencing. 3: What are your concerns for the building? Security; once the phase one works are completed, i.e. preventing further vandalism and theft, and retaining as much of the primary building fabric as possible. It is hoped the conversion of the building by Lister Steps will complement the historic significance of the former library and exploit its full potential as well as securing a sustainable use for the future that is also highly beneficial to the local community. 4: Can you tell us more about the emergency holding works that are taking place thanks to a £100’000 investment from Liverpool City Council? We are currently targeting the worst affected areas of the building by removing all rot affected timber and plaster, replacing floors and elements of the structure where these have failed and ensuring that the roof is made fully water-tight to allow the building to dry out. Embedded vegetation will also be removed from the building. The works will be completed early in the New Year. 5: What do you find special, unique or interesting about the former Andrew Carnegie Library? The building is beautifully situated in its own landscaped grounds with a matching boundary wall of brick, stone and iron railings that is separately listed, also grade II. The style of the building is described as English Renaissance, of which the architect Thomas Shelmerdine was a true exponent – one of the very best. He built all of the buildings which formerly lined Lister Drive, including the large secondary school and frontage to the old power station which generated power for Liverpool’s tram system (the first in the United Kingdom) both now demolished. Shelmerdine’s former public baths happily do survive and are sustained as a quite remarkable pet store. As for the building itself, one could say a lot – it is an excellently thought out piece of architecture and interior design. For instance, the octagonal corner turret marks the entrance to the building. It is a distinguished feature that sets it apart as a little palace of learning where everyone is welcome. It is indeed a very friendly building with the interior laid out in a generous manner that is also logical. The material finishes add considerable warmth with much solid oak panelling, decorative architraves and plasterwork that is pleasing to the eye, green glazed brick and faience block that is clean and also practical – It’s highly fire-resistant, a good thing with all those books around! There is even a sense of palatial splendour in the use of polished stone and inlaid marble to the floor of the entrance lobby and enclosed corridor. The whole is rich and designed to make the act of reading books, of study and of learning something to enjoy and to love doing not just once, but again and again. I think that is great and is what I like most about this building. All the various users were accommodated in their respective reading rooms or lending library including one specifically for ‘Boys & Girls’. This resonates very nicely with the proposed new use for the building. 6: Finally, what are your thoughts on Lister Steps plans to regenerate the building and reuse it as a community hub? Brilliant idea and can’t wait to see and help make it happen! Here is the fabulous 'The Road to Restoration: Part 1' by Eyedear Productions for Tuebrook Explored. This film is the first in a series recording Lister Steps journey to create a community hub in the Grade II listed former Andrew Carnegie Library.
https://www.dailymotion.com/…/x29v33y_the-road-to-restorati… The Lister Steps staff team visited the former library today to view the holding works and consider the space available and what it could be used for within the 'Hub'. We had interesting conversations about the fabulous original features and how historic buildings can be adapted to suit modern users.
An interview with Site Manager Jack Parr 1: Hi Jack, Can you tell us a little about yourself...... I am a Joiner and Site Manager for Robinsons Preservation Ltd where I have worked for five years. 2: You are currently working at the former Andrew Carnegie Library. Can you please tell us more about this project and the work you are doing there? The main part of our work in this phase is to strip the building back to bare brick on the inside and to carry out essential holding treatments on the dry rot to stop it spreading any further and damaging even more of the building. We are also working on getting the building water tight and providing some much needed ventilation to help the building dry out and create some natural air flow. There are also some structural problems with some of the floors which need addressing. 3: What are the areas of concern for the building? There are many areas of concern within the building, the worst is obviously the extent of the dry rot. The others are the glass lights built into the floors between ground and first floor level. They are made from cast iron and must weigh over 200kg each. Because the floors around them have been affected badly by dry rot they are close to collapsing. We have had to do some emergency propping below these. Most of the ornate plaster coving is also a concern because of the timber framework holding it to the wall being badly affected by dry rot, this makes the removal of certain sections vital so they don't fall when we least expect them to. 4: What is the next stage following the emergency holding works? Well it will be stage one survey where hopefully we will be instructed to do the works. This survey will consist of gathering as much detailed information as we can on the areas that need to be worked on. For example, we will need to determine the condition of roof timbers, floor timbers and all other timber work. The reason for doing this is to find out how much is rotten and to enable us to try and get and accurate specification and costing together for the works. 5: What do you find interesting/special/unique about the former Andrew Carnegie Library? As I am a joiner I have a passion for wood so I really like the oak book shelves on the balcony. The brass foot steps and grab handles to help you reach the top shelf I like the most. I also like the oak panelling in the reception area, ornate carved oak door frames in the foyer, the balcony handrail, ornate plaster mouldings and the green tiles. 6: Finally, what are your thoughts on Lister Steps plans to regenerate the building and reuse it as a community hub? For me it's good to see how much this project means to so many people and for different reasons. People that are from all walks of life have such a big interest in the building and what it will become. When Lister Steps had their grand launch for the hub at lowlands I was surprised and happy to see the enthusiasm from everyone about what Lister Steps have done so far. I think that it is vital that organisations like Lister Steps have this amount of passion for buildings like this. The library is a big part of Liverpool's heritage and it shouldn't be left to just slowly deteriorate. I also think it’s a good idea to make the building multi-functional so it can be used for as many different uses as possible. |
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June 2018
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