Swansea Central Library
Encyclopedia
The old Swansea Central Library in Swansea
in Britain was a public lending and reference library located in Alexandra Road, in the Swansea city centre
.
The library was designed by Henry Holtom of Dewsbury
in the Italian classical style
and opened in 1887 by the former and future Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone
. The circular reference library, 86 feet (26.2 m) in diameter, has a domed top, 25 feet (7.6 m) feet high in the centre. The collections provided a repository of source material for research on Swansea in particular and Wales in general. The Dylan Thomas
Collection, established in the early 1950s, consisted of over 3,000 books and periodical articles written by, or about, the Swansea-born poet and author.
The library was closed in November 2007. After its closure, the interior of the library building, including the domed reading room, was used extensively by BBC Wales
as a location for the Doctor Who
episodes "Silence in the Library
" and "Forest of the Dead
". The new Swansea Central Library, opened in March 2008, is located in the Civic Centre alongside the West Glamorgan
Archives Service.
Swansea Metropolitan University's strategic plan for 2007 stated that "detailed discussions are taking place with the City & County of Swansea with a view to the Institute acquiring the Old Central Library building in Alexandra Road". The old library building is now occupied by Swansea Metropolitan University's Welsh School of Architectural Glass
.
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
in Britain was a public lending and reference library located in Alexandra Road, in the Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
.
The library was designed by Henry Holtom of Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
in the Italian classical style
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
and opened in 1887 by the former and future Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
. The circular reference library, 86 feet (26.2 m) in diameter, has a domed top, 25 feet (7.6 m) feet high in the centre. The collections provided a repository of source material for research on Swansea in particular and Wales in general. The Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
Collection, established in the early 1950s, consisted of over 3,000 books and periodical articles written by, or about, the Swansea-born poet and author.
The library was closed in November 2007. After its closure, the interior of the library building, including the domed reading room, was used extensively by BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
as a location for the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episodes "Silence in the Library
Silence in the Library
"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to...
" and "Forest of the Dead
Forest of the Dead
"Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008...
". The new Swansea Central Library, opened in March 2008, is located in the Civic Centre alongside the West Glamorgan
West Glamorgan
West Glamorgan is a preserved county and former administrative county of Wales, one of the divisions of the ancient county of Glamorgan.West Glamorgan was created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the county borough of Swansea, the municipal boroughs of Neath and Port Talbot,...
Archives Service.
Swansea Metropolitan University's strategic plan for 2007 stated that "detailed discussions are taking place with the City & County of Swansea with a view to the Institute acquiring the Old Central Library building in Alexandra Road". The old library building is now occupied by Swansea Metropolitan University's Welsh School of Architectural Glass
Welsh School of Architectural Glass
The Welsh School of Architectural Glass is a department of Swansea Metropolitan University which offers BAs and MA courses in architectural stained glass....
.