Description

MIDDLESBROUGH VICTORIA SQUARE,
NZ 4920 SE
east side.
9/91 Central Public
Library.
18.3.74
- II
Public library, 1909/12 by S.B. Russell and T.E. Cooper (London), under part
patronage of Andrew Carnegie. Rear extension 1977. Red brick with
sandstone ashlar plinth, parapet, towers and dressings. Renewed slate roof.
Baroque style. One storey, with 2-storey end bays, and attic storey.
Eleven bays, with wider and slightly-projecting 2nd and 10th bays, the
latter with wrought iron 2-leaf gates enriched with wreaths and medallions,
under overlight with lozenge-pattern glazing bars, in architrave.
Entablature with applied metal lettering: "PUBLIC LIBRARY" in frieze, under
24-pane casement window in enriched architrave. Similar windows in 2nd
bay. Paired giant Roman Ionic pilasters, rising from deep continuous
plinth, flank doorway and windows and support continuous entablature. Short
towers over 2nd and 10th bays each has window, with patterned glazing bars
in broken-pedimented architrave, with urn and swag in tympanum. Middle
bays have 24-pane hopper-light windows, in architraves under entablatures,
set behind similar colonnade-in-antis. Balustraded parapet; straight
parapets on towers. Right end bay has similar window. Narrow left end bay
has round-headed doorway with similar gate. Both end bays have oculi in
architraves on first floor. Mansard roof with flat-roofed dormers over
middle and right end bays. 6-bay right returns. 2-storey rear extension in
keeping. INTERIOR: entrance hall has marble wall cladding. Panelled double
doors with glazed round top panels, under fanlights, in architraves with
enriched escutcheons and flanked by pilasters. Continuous impost
entablature with triglyphs and guttae. Ceiling has roundel with raised
border of fruit and flowers. Marble imperial staircase has iron
post-and-rail balustrade with medallions, moulded wood handrail and marble
pedestal newels. Plaster panelled walls to staircase and landings. Similar
doors, on first floor, in panelled surrounds, under broken pediments on
fluted consoles, with enriched escutcheons in tympana. Bronze
commemorative tablets on staircase landing. First-floor reference library
has segmental-arched ceiling with square-panelled ribs between dormers.
Heavily-moulded top entablature with pulvinated frieze. Oak panelled walls.
Gallery,on 4 sides, projects at angles and sides to form 5 bays; supported
on Roman Doric columns with continuous entablature. Iron post-and-rail
fronts. Similar galleried reading room adjoining.

Listing NGR: NZ4963720166

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26432651

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)