An Elegant Space...

For this blip I'm returning to the beautifully restored Central Library in Manchester. Specifically the the wonderful, circular reading room under the elegant dome in the centre of the building. They have done much to this building to make it into an institution ready for the demands of the 21st century but they would have meddled with this space at their peril. Generations of Mancunians have come here to study, do their homework or just have some quiet time with a book in a beautiful space.

The marbled walls and striking, yellow marble columns that support the massive dome have been restored and polished. The original 1930s furniture and lamps have been restored and French polished and returned to their original positions. The curved bookcases are back against the walls.

The quote about wisdom from the Book of Proverbs that circumnavigates the dome has been re-gilded. The glass oculus has been re-glazed. And the dome has been painted with a textured paint that is supposed to dampen the acoustics. Naughty boys have been known to drop a book onto one of the desks a little too loudly. By the time the echoes had reverberated around the reading room, the naughty boy would be bent over his homework and no one would have any idea where the noise had come from. Moi? I couldn't possibly comment...