Carnegie Library, 49 Falls Road, BT12 4PD, Belfast, Antrim

Carnegie Library, Falls Road, Belfast — built circa 1905, opened 2 January 1908

Historical Background

Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy industrialist and philanthropist, granted £15,000 for three new libraries in Belfast in the early 1900s. A design competition in 1905, limited to local firms, attracted 30 entries; the winning designs were by architects Graeme Watt and Tulloch. The other two libraries from the same commission were built on Donegall Road and Oldpark Road. The general building contract was carried out by local firm Courtney & Co., at a contract value of £3,969 (the total cost, including extras, was reported as £4,700). The library first appears in the Valuation Revision Books as a new entry in 1907, assigned a rateable valuation of £216, though as a public building it was exempt from paying rates. It was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, the Earl of Shaftesbury, on 2 January 1908.

The following day the Belfast Newsletter described the building as "exceedingly handsome and well-appointed," noting that "the architects have skilfully adapted their plans to the conditions of the site and its environment." The report described the interior arrangement: entrance through an arched doorway into a well-lit hall, with the newsroom to the right and the lending library to the left, the latter served by a workroom, filing room, stores and lavatory. A commodious staircase gave access to the upper floor, which contained the magazine room, juvenile room and ladies' room, each abundantly lit. The plan was noted for giving the librarian complete control of all departments with a minimum of supervision effort. The style was described at the time as a "modified form of the Georgian style," and architectural historian Paul Larmour later characterised it as "Wrenaissance" — an Edwardian interpretation of English Classical architecture.

The building was constructed in red brick with Scottish freestone from the Hunter's Hill quarries (Giffnock sandstone). The sculptured spandrels over the entrance arches were modelled by the renowned Ulster sculptor Rosamond Praeger and carved by a Mr Winter under her supervision. The two female figure plaques on the front door, representing "Literature" and "Art" and also designed by Praeger, were originally cast in bronze but have since been remade in fibreglass. Heating and ventilation were supplied by Musgrave & Co., and the mosaic floors were laid by Rust's Vitreous Mosaic Company of London. The first librarian in charge was Thomas N. Coulson, formerly of Sunderland.

The library suffered damage at various points during the Troubles, including bomb damage in 1994. A major programme of refurbishment was undertaken between January and June 2011 at a cost of £770,000, and a further refurbishment took place in 2012, after which the interior layout was altered, though many original features survive.

Carnegie's philanthropy resulted in over 2,500 Carnegie libraries being built worldwide, nearly two-thirds in the United States, with over 600 in Britain and Ireland, including the very first in Carnegie's native Dunfermline.

Architectural Description

This is a two-storey-plus-attic red-brick building in English Renaissance revival style, built to a rectangular plan facing south, located on the corner of Falls Road and Sevastopol Street. There is a single-storey gabled outshot to the north-west and a single-storey hipped-roof extension to the north.

The roof is pitched natural slate with raised stone verges and a small hexagonal ventilation cupola. Rainwater goods to the south elevation consist of decorated cast iron hoppers discharging to cast iron rectangular-section downpipes; the west elevation has uPVC circular downpipes; and cast iron ogee guttering and circular downpipes serve the rear. The brick walling is laid in Flemish bond with ashlar Giffnock sandstone dressings, quoins and string courses on a chamfered stone plinth, now painted. Ground-floor windows are square-headed and first-floor windows are segmental-headed, all with moulded architraves and keystones, and all fitted with 6/6 double-hung timber sashes unless noted otherwise.

South (Principal) Elevation

The principal elevation is symmetrical with nine bays. The three central bays are recessed and flanked by three-bay projecting pedimented elevations with sandstone quoins to the east and west ends. At ground-floor level, a double-arched single-storey projection in ashlar sandstone sits almost flush with the side wings, consisting of round arches supported on stone pilasters with decorated capitals, moulded hoods and keystones, and the elaborately carved angel sculptures to the spandrels designed by Rosamond Praeger. A raised parapet to the porch bears an embossed inscription in Art Nouveau lettering.

The western archway is open, fitted with a painted metal gate, and forms a small open porch. Behind it is a round-arched door opening with a double-leaf timber panelled door, fanlight and side lights, with two replica plaques to the top panels. The porch floor is laid in brick to a herringbone pattern and has a plastered soffit. A ramp in front of the entrance is flanked by stone dwarf walling topped with painted metal railings. The eastern archway contains a round-arched window opening fitted with a three-part casement window and a panelled apron below, with rectangular-section swan-neck cast iron railings to the window sill and a decorated top rail.

The recessed central bay above has a raised parapet on a dentilled cornice with an embossed inscription in Art Nouveau lettering. Wraparound moulded stone sills run along the first floor, with a moulded string course at impost level. The pediments have dentilled cornices and segmental-headed windows with moulded architraves.

West Elevation

The west elevation comprises the four-bay two-storey main building to the south and a three-bay single-storey gabled outshot to the north. Above the dentilled cornice there is a raised red-brick parapet with stone pilasters and moulded coping stones. A flush string course runs at arch-spring level and a moulded string course runs at first-floor level.

Rear (North) Elevation

The rear elevation consists of the back of the main two-storey building and the rear of the single-storey extensions. To the east end is a two-storey three-bay gabled section with segmental-headed window openings fitted with large three-part timber casement windows. Immediately to the west are two projecting two-storey bays, with segmental-headed windows to the first floor facing north, a square-headed window to the first floor and a square-headed modern metal door to the ground floor facing east. To the north of this is abutted a single-storey hipped-roof extension with a blind north elevation and four square-headed modern windows to the east elevation. To the west end is a two-storey gabled outshot with a square-headed window to the first floor, abutted to the north by a single-storey pitched-roof extension with a rebuilt blind elevation in red brick. A low brick wall with stone coping surrounds a set of stone steps leading down to basement level.

East Elevation

The east elevation is a blind red-brick wall.

Interior

Although the interior layout was altered during the 2012 refurbishment, many original features survive, including the main staircase, timber entrance screen, glazed timber screens to the front façade, and mosaic tiling. These features demonstrate the quality of design and craftsmanship characteristic of Carnegie Libraries worldwide.

Setting

The building occupies the corner of Falls Road and Sevastopol Street. A private lane to the east leads to a neighbouring industrial building. The rear yard is enclosed by red-brick walling topped with modern railings and is accessed through a square-headed door opening to the east. The paved rear yard contains a single-storey flat-roofed red-brick extension.