© Mecanoo

The new Library of Birmingham, designed by Mecanoo, has been shortlisted for the 2014 Stirling Prize. Covered in thousands of interlocking steel circles, it shines jewel-like over Centenary Square. 

The library comprises performance spaces, rooftop terraces and a large glass-topped central book rotunda that rises through the middle of the building, echoing the traditional great round reading room of the British Museum. The intricate steel lattice work that covers the outside of the building represents both the city's industrial past and its heritage in jewellery making. It reflects and dissects the daylight to create ever-changing shadows on the library's walls and floors.

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> via Mecanoo