Pontefract Library
Pontefract Library is a public library in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The present day building is notable as one of the last examples of architecture by John Poulson
History[]
Pontefract's first library opened in 1905 and was built with money from benefactor Andrew Carnegie. This building is now the location of the Pontefract Museum.[1]
Present Library[]
The present library was is situated on Shoemarket and was opened in 1975 to a design by disgraced Pontefract architect, John Poulson.[2] The library was one of Poulson's final buildings, opening two years after his imprisonment for corruption. The building is of two storeys, the first floor being a mezanine. The interior is clad in wood with a central staircase linking the ground floor with mezanine. The exterior has the characteristic geometric shapes of Poulson's earlier brutalist style buildings, however unlike his earlier works the pre-cast concrete is finished. The windows are tinted to protect the stock and extrude from the building. The library is the only public library in the town.
Facilities[]
The library has a study area, a children's library, a local history library' and a computer area. There is also a meeting room which can be hired.
References[]
- ^ "Pontefract Library". Wakefield Council. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Pontefract Vision" (PDF). Wakefield Council. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pontefract Library. |
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- Public libraries in West Yorkshire
- John Poulson buildings
- Library buildings completed in 1975
- Buildings in Pontefract