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Pontefract Library is a public library in
Pontefract's first library opened in 1905 to a design by George Pennington and was built with money from benefactor
The present library was is situated on Shoemarket and was opened in 1975 to a design by disgraced Pontefract architect,
Pontefract Library
{{Coord, 53.691, -1.312, display=title Public libraries in West Yorkshire John Poulson buildings Library buildings completed in 1975 Buildings in Pontefract
Pontefract Library is a public library in Pontefract
Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wak ...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, England. The present day building is notable as one of the last examples of architecture by John Poulson
John Garlick Llewellyn Poulson (14 April 1910 – 31 January 1993) was a British architectural designer and businessman who caused a major political scandal when his use of bribery was disclosed in 1972. The highest-ranking figure to be forced ...
History
Pontefract's first library opened in 1905 to a design by George Pennington and was built with money from benefactor Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
. This building was designed to a Art Nouveau style and is now the location of the Pontefract Museum
Pontefract Museum is a local museum in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The collections cover archaeology, archives, decorative and applied art, fine art, photographs and social history.
History
The museum is located in an Art Nouveau bui ...
.
Present Library
The present library was is situated on Shoemarket and was opened in 1975 to a design by disgraced Pontefract architect, John Poulson
John Garlick Llewellyn Poulson (14 April 1910 – 31 January 1993) was a British architectural designer and businessman who caused a major political scandal when his use of bribery was disclosed in 1972. The highest-ranking figure to be forced ...
. The library was one of Poulson's final buildings, opening two years after his imprisonment for corruption. The building is of two storeys, the first floor being a mezzanine. The interior is clad in wood with a central staircase linking the ground floor with the mezzanine. The ceiling has square skylights situated over the central atrium. The exterior has the characteristic geometric shapes of Poulson's earlier brutalist style buildings, however unlike his earlier works the pre-cast concrete is finished. The windows are tinted to protect the stock and extrude from the building. The library is the only public library in the town.
Facilities
The library has a study area, a children's library, a local history library and a computer area. There is also a meeting room which can be hired. The mezzanine level has lift access.See also
* Horsefair flats - Poulson's other major work in PontefractReferences
External links
Pontefract Library
{{Coord, 53.691, -1.312, display=title Public libraries in West Yorkshire John Poulson buildings Library buildings completed in 1975 Buildings in Pontefract