Moving a central library from an over-large 1970s building into a compact new home — 21 layout iterations, a curved mezzanine and ingenious space-planning for Stoke-on-Trent.
One and Two Smithfield are part of a major development in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent involving offices, retail, hotel and public realm works. The main Stoke-on-Trent Council offices are here, together with their busiest customer centre. BHB Architects were appointed to create a new library space in a good location at the front of Two Smithfield in order to move the Central Library from its over-large 1970s’ building in Bethesda Street.
Opening the Book were brought in as consultants from the earliest concept development and worked with the architects, project managers, councillors and library managers in one continuous process right through to delivery. And it was a process – the challenge of moving a central library from a no-longer-fit-for-purpose space into a much tighter footprint took creativity and compromise from everyone involved. Options to connect to the public area of the council services offer next door were explored, including a shared café area, but had to be rethought to stay within a fixed budget. Locations for back office functions and an accessible toilet were juggled and the late addition of a front porch was then moved internal to save on cost. We eventually installed on Version 21 of our layout drawings!
The building has an entrance at street level to the ground floor at the front and an entrance up a steep rise at the side to street level at the next floor. Unless library users were to move round the outside in all weathers, that meant internal stairs and lift must be added – space-hungry elements in a small footprint. BHB worked through lots of options to the final version where a lovely curved mezzanine expanded the capacity at the upper level and the attractive staircase doubles as seating. Opening the Book worked with the library team to maximise computer, bring-your-own-device and book capacity as each version evolved.
This is one of the most compact, clever designs we have been involved with and we are proud of the way it still feels spacious while fitting so much in.
The children’s library was a vital component and we were fortunate that Stoke-on-Trent Libraries had already developed a relationship with children’s illustrator, Kate Leake. Kate’s dragon had become the children’s library brand, used on everything from library cards to event posters. Kate and the library team worked with us to adapt the flying dragon to appear on the outside and inside of our hideout feature. Plus there is a wonderful upright dragon announcing the children’s area which makes a feature of the utilitarian lift-shaft. We were delighted that Kate became the city’s first ever Creativity Laureate in January 2026.
The dragon design also looks good on the children’s bookcase signage. For the adult signage, we developed a style which references the brick detail of the Smithfield building and the bottle kilns emblematic of the Potteries.
