Manchester Central Library, Manchester

Manchester Central Library, located in Manchester, serves as the main hub for the city's library and information service. This iconic building, facing Saint Peter's Square, is a testament to the architectural vision of E. Vincent Harris. Constructed between 1930 and 1934, the design of the library draws inspiration from the Pantheon in Rome, featuring a rotunda and a domed structure. Its classical influence was well received at its opening, with one critic lauding it as a convincing argument for the "perennial applicability of the Classical canon."

The building itself is listed as grade II*, denoting it as particularly significant and more than merely of local interest. The architecture includes a two-story portico with Corinthian columns, fronting a round structure surrounded by a Tuscan colonnade. This colonnade is crowned with a band of unrelieved Portland stone, and despite the appearance of a domed roof from street level, the actual dome is concealed within, visible only from the Great Hall inside.

The interior of the library is equally majestic, with the Great Hall being a focal point on the first floor. This vast reading room is topped by the hidden dome and features original furniture designed by Harris. Inscriptions from the Book of Proverbs adorn the dome's rim, adding a literary grace to the structural elegance. The library holds the distinction of being the second-largest public lending library in Britain, following only the Library of Birmingham.

Previously, beneath the Great Hall, the library housed four floors of steel book stacks that provided 35 miles of shelving and held over one million books, accessible only to staff and controlled to preserve delicate materials. After extensive renovations from 2010 to 2014, which included the modernization and refurbishment of these spaces, many of these books have been moved to publicly accessible areas, excluding rare and fragile items.

The collections at Manchester Central Library are notable, comprising over 30 incunabula and numerous first and early editions of significant works, making it a treasure trove for both casual readers and academic researchers alike. The library reopened on March 22, 2014, after its transformative refurbishment, continuing its legacy as a cornerstone of cultural and literary life in Manchester.