Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
11550
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
30/03/1987
Date of Amendment
30/03/1987
Name of Property
Central Library
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Swansea
Community
Castle
Town
Locality
Easting
265535
Northing
193428
Street Side
Location
In a group of public buildings at the N end of the city centre
Description
Broad Class
Recreational
Period
History
Erected 1886-7. Designed by Henry Holtom of Dewsbury (cost £20,000). Italianate
Exterior
Monumental, symmetrical classical design; red brick facings with pale freestone dressings.
2-storey, attic and basement. Advanced centre and end bays with slate pavilion roofs (centre roof destroyed in Second War), tower to centre with tripartite arched windows. Main dentilled cornice with solid parapets and plain frieze. Banded quoins to upper floor, angle and fluted pilasters below; windows divided 2-4-1-4-2, outer bays with fluted tympana and inscribed tablets. Swagged and fluted oculi to inner bays over pedimented and keyblocked studio windows. Oriel treatment to central aedicule flanked by niches and elaborate overthrow with reclining figures. Arched and keyblocked ground floor windows with linked impost bands and panelled aprons. Segmental, keyblocked basement windows behind area railings. Mostly T-frame glazing.
Set-back bay on far right, similar style with glazed top storey and 2-bay return elevation. Porch to street with segmental pedimented doorcase, panelled pilasters and carved tympanum. Main arched and pilastered doorcase has foliage carving to spandrels and keyblock, sliding double doors, quadrant parapets to steps up. Smaller doorcase to far left with guilloche surround, inscribed over door under glazed lunette, flying platform to steps, 6-panel doors.
Interior
Interior of entrance hall has paired doorways up steps, arched coffered ceiling to vestibule, elaborate timber pedimented doorcases with lunettes over, arched and pilastered treatment to lateral corridors. Aisled, circular rear Reading classical detailing. Cast iron columns with rich acanthus capitals and radiating timber bookcases with guilloche ironwork balconies support entablature.
Reason for designation
Group value.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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