Kensington Central Library Including Adjoining Pylons

This is a public library built between 1958 and 1960, designed by E Vincent Harris. It is constructed with a steel frame faced with handmade brick, Bath stone, and Portland stone, with tile roofs that form hips at the ends. The building has a rectangular plan, comprising a six-bay central section flanked by broad, projecting end pavilions. It extends over two storeys with basements and an attic; the ground floor accommodates the lending library, and the first floor houses the reference library. The eastern pavilion contains the main entrance and staircase, while the western pavilion accommodates the children’s and local studies collections. The Portland stone is used for the base, cornice, and parapet. All windows are square-headed with small panes, and those on the first floor and five-bay returns have architrave surrounds. The end pavilions are emphasized by large arched openings with stone surrounds and keystones. Above the eastern pavilion entrance are busts of Chaucer and Caxton. The elevation facing Phillimore Walk features stone pylons, topped by figures of a Lion and Unicorn, symbolizing the Royal status granted to the Borough of Kensington in 1941; a bronze gilded figure of 'Genius' is also present in the parapet, sculpted by William McMillan.

The interior is exceptionally well-preserved. The entrance hall and children's area are lined with Doulting stone, the entrance hall featuring a long inscription dedicated to wisdom and a plaque commemorating the library’s opening by the Queen Mother on 13 July 1960. The ground floor is also lined with acoustic panels, featuring square piers, original bookcases made of Ghana mahogany inlaid with brass, and terrazzo flooring. A dog-leg staircase with glass panels etched with a ‘K’ emblem leads to a more richly appointed reference library, featuring walnut-panelled walls, six pairs of columns, original bookcases, and fittings. Kensington Central Library is a superb and complete example of Harris’s post-war work, carried out in a classical "neo Renaissance" style as stipulated by the council. It represents the final building in a long line of notable public buildings, distinguished as a specialist of the genre.