Five Points West Library
The Five Points West Regional Library (formerly the Central Park Library or Birmingham Public Library Central Park Branch) is a regional branch of the Birmingham Public Library located at 4812 Avenue W in the Five Points West Municipal Center in Five Points West.
The library was first established in the 1930s on the upper floor of Birmingham Fire Station No. 24. From at least 1957 to 1970 it was located at 1625 Bessemer Road. Since then it has been moved to the Central Park Recreation Center, to a building designed by architect Jack B. Smith at 2228 Bessemer Road.
The library moved to the former Britling West cafeteria on Avenue V in 1983. That project was funded with money from Birmingham's 1977 bond issue, establishing the branch as a "regional library" with more extensive reference holdings and community resources. Joel Blackstock of Giattina, Kirkwood & Partners was the lead architect on the 10,000 square foot renovation. The building's entrance was located where it would serve the parking lot as well as patrons walking over from the nearby Five Points West Shopping Center. The pathway leading to the entry pavilion was enhanced with heavy plantings, which also improved views from the libary's windows.
The Five Points West library moved to its current location at the Five Points West Municipal Center in 2004. The current library was designed by Giattina Fisher Aycock. The building includes half of the old Food Fair/Zayre store building from Five Points West Shopping City which was partially demolished. The adjoining parking deck, whose basement once contained a cinema and bowling alley was remodeled into a Birmingham Fire & Rescue Training Center.
Also the City of Birmingham's Department of Equipment Management has a fleet refueling station on the northwest corner of the property. The land is connected to several more acres of property owned by the city, including the Alabama State Fairgrounds and the Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service's Station No. 20.
The monumental "Antelumpen" created in 1997 by sculptor Zachary Coffin was lent by the Birmingham Museum of Art for display at the library in 2010.
References
- Morris, Philip (1988) "Building Better Libraries". Design Alabama, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 10
External links
- Five Points West Library at bplonline.org