Inside the Library of Birmingham

Few buildings in Birmingham have divided opinion quite like the Library of Birmingham. When it opened in 2013, its stacked boxes and lace-like metal rings were unlike anything else in the city. Some loved it immediately; others took time to come round. More than a decade on, it has become one of the defining images of modern Birmingham, and one of the best free days out in the city centre.

A building wrapped in rings

The library stands on Centenary Square, next door to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with which it shares space. It was designed by the Dutch architecture practice Mecanoo, and its most striking feature is the filigree of interlocking metal circles that wraps the outside. The pattern is often said to be a nod to the craftsmanship of the Jewellery Quarter, and to the gasholders, canal tunnels and viaducts that shaped the city's industrial past.

The building was officially opened in September 2013 by Malala Yousafzai, who had made Birmingham her home after receiving treatment at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Her words that day, about the power of books and education, gave the building a sense of purpose that has stayed with it ever since.

Finding your way around

Inside, the library is organised around a series of rotundas linked by escalators, which carry you up through the building past floor after floor of books. It is one of those spaces that is best experienced by simply wandering. Ride the escalators all the way up, then take your time coming back down, stopping wherever looks interesting.

The lower levels are the busiest, with the children's library, study spaces and the main lending collections. Families will find plenty to keep younger readers happy, and the study areas are popular with students throughout the year, so expect them to be busy around exam time.

The terraces and the Secret Garden

One of the library's great surprises is that it has gardens. The Discovery Terrace on an upper level is a broad outdoor space with planting and views across Centenary Square and Broad Street. Keep climbing and you will reach the Secret Garden, a smaller, more sheltered terrace higher up, with benches, greenery and a lovely view over the rooftops towards the city centre.

On a sunny day, these terraces are among the most pleasant places to sit in Birmingham. They are free to visit during opening hours, and they give you a real sense of how the city fits together, with the canals, the arena and the towers of the city centre all laid out around you.

Go for the books, stay for the view. The terraces at the Library of Birmingham are some of the best free viewpoints in the city.

The Shakespeare Memorial Room

At the very top of the building sits one of its real treasures: the Shakespeare Memorial Room. Originally created in 1882 for Birmingham's Victorian central library, it is an ornate, wood-panelled room designed to house one of the most important Shakespeare collections in the world. When the old library building was replaced, the room was carefully dismantled and eventually rebuilt at the top of the new library.

Stepping into it is like stepping back in time. The rich carving and detailed decoration are a striking contrast to the clean modern lines of the rest of the building, and it is a reminder of how seriously Victorian Birmingham took its public libraries. Check opening times before you visit, as access can vary.

Archives and collections

Behind the public spaces, the library holds extensive archives and special collections that tell the story of the city and far beyond. Among the most significant are papers relating to Matthew Boulton and James Watt, whose partnership at the Soho Manufactory helped drive the Industrial Revolution. There are also rich photographic collections that document the changing face of Birmingham over more than a century.

Many items can be viewed by appointment, and the library regularly puts on exhibitions that bring material from the archives into public view. If you are researching family history or local history, the staff are an excellent source of help and advice.

Tips for visiting

• Entry is free. You can explore the public floors, terraces and exhibitions without paying anything.
• Check opening hours before you set off, as they vary by day and some areas have their own times.
• Take the escalators up and the stairs down for the full experience of the rotundas.
• Pair it with Centenary Square. The square outside hosts events throughout the year and is a short walk from Brindleyplace and the canals.
• Visit at dusk if you can. When the building is lit, the rings glow against the evening sky.

More than a library

It would be easy to think of the Library of Birmingham simply as a place to borrow books, but it has become much more than that. It is a meeting place, a study space, a gallery, a viewing platform and a symbol of the city's ambitions. Whether you come for an hour or a whole afternoon, it is one of the places that shows modern Birmingham at its most confident, and it costs nothing to see it.