Lucky 7 bid for new Birmingham library

Mar 28 2008 By Neil Elkes

BIRMINGHAM'S iconic Selfridges building could soon have competition from a landmark structure dreamt up by the architect responsible for London's controversial Gherkin tower and Wembley Stadium.

World famous architect Sir Norman Foster is one of the front-runners to design the new £193 million Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square.

His firm Foster and Partners, which has also designed one of the buildings set to replace New York's Twin Towers, is among seven architects on a shortlist unveiled by city leader Mike Whitby.

The others include architects responsible for Gateshead Millennium Bridge, BBC Music Centre in London, Seattle Public Library and the National Library of Beijing.

But in a new twist, not one of the competing firms have been asked to design their proposed building and nor will they be asked to until the final company has been selected in August.

Only then will they sit down with council planners, librarians, the Birmingham Rep and a library consultative committee to draft plans for the site. Coun Whitby said that more than 100 r enowned architects had expressed their interest and been whittled down to the seven, four from the UK, two from Holland and a Danish firm.

"They were inspired at the opportunity of designing a world class library," he said.

When asked what he expected from the eventual design, he added: "There are some designs which wow you and hit you, but there are other buildings which grow on you because they are so successful. I will be lead by the people on this."

The new library will share a 300 seat theatre and reception with the neighbouring Birmingham Rep when it opens in 2012. The seven firms are Foreign Office Architects, Foster and Partners, Hopkins Architects, Mecanoo, OMA, Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Wilkinson Eyre.