St. George's Terrace, Jesmond Branch Library

HER Number:
9120

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
St. George's Terrace, Jesmond Branch Library

Place:
Jesmond

Map Sheet:
NZ26NE

Class:
Recreational

Site Type: Broad:
Art and Education Venue

Site Type: Specific:
Public Library

General Period:
20TH CENTURY

Specific Period:
Mid 20th Century 1933 to 1966

Form of Evidence:
Extant Building

Description:
This library was listed Grade II in 1998 with the following description: 'Branch library. 1962-63. Harry Faulkner Brown of Williamson, Faulkner, Brown and Partners. Steel frame painted black. Precast pink granite aggregate panels. Grey brick to administration block. Flat roof. Circular plan to main lending area with "saw-tooth" arrangement of external windows and panels. This is connected to a two-storey administrative block. The "saw-tooth" walls of the circular lending area enables light to be introduced to the side of the bookcases, which are built into the long edges of the serrations, backed by aggregate panels and with glazing above. Recessed fully glazed entrance. This little library is built to a high standard of design, detailing and finishes and uses its circular plan to occupy its corner site with elegance. Awarded RIBA Bronze Medal in 1965. (Architects Journal: 1963-: 1235; Architectural Review: 1963-: 427, 442, The Builder: 1963-: 671-674).' {1} 1962-3 by Williamson, Faulkner Brown & Partners for the City of Newcastle. Like Fenham Branch Library, this is typical of the best of its date. A corner site with narrow frontage is used to advantage by setting a circular reading room in a bed of whinstone cobbles and granite setts. The perimeter wall is zigzag in plan, each glass-fronted fin enclosing a bookcase against a lower panel of red granite chips in its longer side. These full-height glass fins lead the eye by stages round the corner {2}. LISTED GRADE 2

Easting:
425280

Northing:
566590

Grid Reference:
NZ425280566590

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Department of National Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural and Historic Interest, 1833/9/10059; N. Pevsner and I. Richmond (second edition revised by J. Grundy, G. McCombie, P. Ryder, H. Welfare), 1992, The Buildings of England - Northumberland, page 511; Alan Morgan, 2010, Jesmond from mines to mansions, page 87; https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1323708