Bristol Central Library

Bristol Central Library
The Library, with the Abbey Gatehouse on the left
Location within Bristol
General information
Town or city	Bristol
Country	England
Coordinates	51°27′08″N 2°36′09″W / 51.452155°N 2.602390°W / 51.452155; -2.602390
Completed	1906
Cost	£30,000
Design and construction
Architect	Charles Holden

Bristol Central Library is a historic building on the south side of College Green, Bristol, England. It contains the main collections of Bristol's public library.

Built in 1906 by Charles Holden, its design was influential in the development of Edwardian Free Style architecture. Holden would later go on to build the Edward VII Memorial Wing of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, giving Bristol two of its most highly regarded Edwardian buildings. The Library has been designated by Historic England as a grade I listed building.

In 1899 Vincent Stuckey Lean left a bequest of £50,000 to replace Bristol's old public library building on King Street. An architectural competition was organised, and won by the firm of H. Percy Adams with designs by his assistant Charles Holden, at a cost of £30,000.

The new library was built on land adjacent to the historic Abbey Gatehouse, and opened in 1906.

Because of the slope of the site, which falls away sharply to the south, the building has two basement levels creating five visible storeys at the rear, while only three storeys are visible at the front. The north front of the building is a blend of Tudor Revival and Modern Movement styles, designed to harmonise with the adjoining Abbey Gatehouse.

The rear facades to the south and east are in a plainer style, with vertical features such as towers and flat buttresses being used to frame the great mass of the building. Holden's approach to handling large volumes, of which his design for the Library was one of the most highly regarded examples, made him influential within the Modern Movement. For this he has been compared with his contemporary Charles Rennie Mackintosh.