SOUTHPORT BRICKS
Southport Library 1878
My View
A lovely looking building, very grand and definitley in keeping with most of the architecture on Lord Street.
You can just imagine this place back in the early 1900's.
Today it's been recently refurbished and from what i have seen it's a decent enough Library and is well used by the public.
I find the reference section a great place to sit and sift through the old directories and actually found out about my house and how old it was here.
The building is a combination of two former buildings, the original Atkinson Art Gallery and Library that opened in 1878, and the adjacent Manchester and Liverpool District Bank that was built in 1879. These were combined in 1923–24 and the interiors have been integrated. The original building is in Neoclassical style, and the former bank is in Renaissance style.
The art gallery and library has been integrated with the Southport Arts Centre and is now known as The Atkinson.
The fully refurbished Southport Library re-opened in 2013 following a major improvement to the Lord Street building, which is part of the wider Atkinson cultural centre project.
The showpiece is the extended children’s section with room for activities and events, which includes a ship, specially made for the library, named after Kathleen - a real fishing boat built in Southport around 1900.
Other additions include a new teenage space, self-service machines and information pods, a wider range of books and access to toilets.
