View source for Swiss Cottage Library

{{Short description|Library in Camden, London}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use british english|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox library
| image = {{Photomontage
| photo1a  = Swiss Cottage Library Geograph-2779962-by-Stephen-Richards.jpg
| alt1a    = A long shot from the side of the library taken on Finchley Road, showing its length
| photo2a  = Swiss Cottage Library drone, January 2022 (1) (cropped).jpg
| alt2a    = A bird's eye photo shows the length of Swiss Cottage library, a long, pill like structure
| photo2b  = Swiss Cottage Library (3020438124) (cropped).jpg
| alt2b    = An interior shot of the ground floor atrium of the reference library
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| caption = Clockwise from top: length as viewed from [[Finchley Road]]; ground floor of the reference library; south-facing aerial view
| type = [[public library]]
| scope = 
| established = {{Start date and age|1964|11|10|df=y}} as Hampstead Central Library
| architect = [[Basil Spence]]
| dissolved = <!-- {{End date|yyyy|mm|dd}} -->
| location = 
| service_area = [[London Borough of Camden]]
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| website = {{URL|https://www.camden.gov.uk/swiss-cottage-library}}
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| module = {{Infobox building
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| address             = 88 Avenue Road<br />London NW3 3HA
| cost                = £200,000 (equivalent to £{{Inflation|UK-GDP|0.2|1956|r=1}}&nbsp;million in {{inflation/year|UK-GDP}})
| owner               = [[London Borough of Camden]]
| start_date          = {{start date and age|1962|12|31|df=y}}
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  {{Designation list
  | embed = yes
  | designation1 = Grade II Listed Building
  | designation1_offname = Swiss Cottage Library
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  | designation1_criteria =
  | designation1_date = 2 December 1997
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  | designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1272259|short=yes}}
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'''Swiss Cottage Library''' is a [[public library]] in the [[London Borough of Camden]] housed in an architectural landmark building on [[Avenue Road, London|Avenue Road]]. Designed by Sir [[Basil Spence]] of Spence, Bonnington & Collins, it was built between 1963 and 1964.

It replaced the former [[Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead]]'s main library, Finchley Road Library, which had suffered damage during [[the Blitz]] and lacked sufficient capacity. The new library was originally part of a larger civic project designed to regenerate the wider [[Swiss Cottage]] area, but following [[London Government Act 1963|reorganisations in local government]] only it and the adjoining [[swimming baths]] were built.

The building shows a more open, fluid architectural style compared to other contemporary libraries, with distinct fins revolving around the exterior. Opened by [[Queen Elizabeth II]] on 10 November 1964, the library has been [[Listed building|Grade II listed]] since 1997, and was refurbished in the early 2000s as part of the Swiss Cottage Centre redevelopment.

== Background ==
{{stack|float=right|
[[File:Hampstead Central Library (Finchley Road Library), 1900.jpg|thumb|Finchley Road Library as published in a 1900 architecture magazine<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2 June 1900 |title=Illustrations |url=http://archive.org/details/sim_american-architect-and-architecture_1900-06-02_68_1275 |magazine=[[The American Architect|The American Architect and Building News]] |publisher=Open Court Publishing Co |volume=68 |issue=1275 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>]]
}}
The [[Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead]]'s first library, [[Kilburn Library]], opened in 1894 and was soon succeeded by Finchley Road Library in 1897. Then known as Hampstead Central Library, this became [[Camden Arts Centre]] in 1965.<ref name="c20" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gorman |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R5ZtApAOJMoC&dq=%22Hampstead+central+library%22+photos+1950&pg=PA52 |title=Broken Pieces: A Library Life, 1941–1978 |date=8 June 2011 |publisher=American Library Association |isbn=978-0-8389-1104-4 |page=52}}</ref> By the 1950s, the Central Library was in need of expansion, having served the same role since establishment.<ref name="hampreport">{{Cite report |title=Hampstead Civic Centre: Stage 1 |date=1950s |publisher=[[Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead]], The Development Committee}}</ref> Soon after a refurbishment, it suffered severe damage during [[the Blitz]] in [[World War II]], leaving it with only half the required capacity.<ref name="historyrev1977">{{Cite journal |last=Lee |first=A. E. |year=1977 |editor-last=Wade |editor-first=Christopher |title=Saved by Two Minutes |journal=Camden History Review |publisher=Camden History Society |volume=5 |pages=27}}</ref><ref name="c20">{{Cite conference|title=Notes on Swiss Cottage Library |last=Drake |first=Robert |date=May 2013 |publisher=[[C20 Society]]}}</ref> The borough desperately needed more space for books, and incorporated a new library into its plans for a new [[civic centre]] to house its headquarters and other services.<ref name="hampreport" />

The [[Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals|Library Association]] reported in 1959 that, whilst hardly any new public library buildings had been built, library usage had risen by 75% since 1939, with most buildings being over 50 years old.<ref name="historyrev" /> [[Aftermath of World War II#United Kingdom|Post-war]], the British government had [[Housing in the United Kingdom#Post War|prioritised housing]] and education, resulting in wartime restrictions remaining in force and many libraries being designed for fewer users than needed.<ref name="he">{{Cite book |last=Harwood |first=Elain |chapter-url=https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-english-public-library-1945-85/heag136-the-english-public-library-1945-85-iha/ |title=Introductions to Heritage Assets |publisher=[[Historic England]] |year=2016 |pages=3, 13 |chapter=The English Public Library 1945–85 |author-link=Elain Harwood}}</ref><ref name="historyrev" /> With additional damage and destruction to other libraries, Hampstead lacked the infrastructure needed for storing and cataloguing media.<ref name="historyrev1977" />

== History ==
=== Founding ===
Swiss Cottage Library was planned as part of the Hampstead Civic Centre development by the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead in the 1950s, which was originally intended to offer a new master site for Hampstead's governance.<ref name="hampsteadbook">{{Cite book |last=Denford |first=Steven |title=The Hampstead Book: The A-Z of Its History and People |publisher=Historical Publications |year=2009 |isbn=978-1905286331 |pages=119–120}}</ref><ref name="aj1959">{{Cite journal|url=http://archive.org/details/sim_architects-journal_1959-01-29_129_3335 |journal=[[Architects' Journal]] |date=29 January 1959 |title=Proposed civic centre for Hampstead |via=Internet Archive |page=185 |volume=129 |issue=3335 |url-access = limited}}</ref> In 1959, British architect Sir [[Basil Spence]] of Spence, Bonnington & Collins created a scheme for the Civic Centre, including a library and sports centre (which contained the [[swimming baths]]),<ref name="intothelight">{{Cite book |last=Black |first=Alistair |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315592336-12/hampstead-central-library-light-alistair-black |title=Libraries of Light |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2017 |isbn=9781315592336 |edition=1st |pages=172 |chapter=Hampstead Central Library: into the light |doi=10.4324/9781315592336 |chapter-url-access=subscription}}</ref> on land purchased from the [[St John's Wood#Origin|Eyre]] and [[Eton College]] (Chalcots) estates in 1956 at a cost of £200,000 (equivalent to £{{Inflation|UK-GDP|0.2|1956|r=1}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|UK}}).<ref name="hampreport" /> The Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead became part of the larger [[London Borough of Camden]] under the [[London Government Act 1963]], bringing complications to the scheme: Camden Council instead wanted to focus on its [[Euston Road]] developments;<ref name="hampsteadbook" /> Spence described the fate of the project as being "in the lap of the Gods".{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=5}} 

As Hampstead's final major infrastructure project, the original "masterplan" was downgraded to include only a sports centre and a library, per demands from the [[Greater London Council]] and central government.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brockman |first=H. A. N. |date=10 November 1964 |title=Hampstead Civic Centre: the unfinished symphony |pages=19 |work=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref> Furthermore, the library, which was originally intended to be built next to Winchester Road, was instead moved west to be beside Avenue Road, to accommodate the changes.<ref name="c20" />

Construction was undertaken by [[Sir Robert McAlpine|McAlpine & Sons]] and was accelerated by the use of a {{cvt|164|ft}} tower crane, the tallest in the UK at the time.<ref name="greenman" /> Construction began on 31 December 1962,{{sfn|LB Camden|1991|p=3}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blanchard |first=Tamsin |date=19 September 2004 |title=Learning curve |work=The Observer Magazine |issn=0029-7712 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/sep/19/urbandesign.architecture |access-date=1 July 2023}}</ref> with the mayor, Luigi Carlo Denza, shovelling the first pile of earth for the site. Succeeding weeks brought difficulties due to [[Winter of 1962–1963 in the United_Kingdom|unusually heavy snow]], leading to concrete needing additional protection. Later building strikes exacerbated the problem, and construction was delayed, but eventually finished in 1964.<ref name="greenman" />

Soon after opening the [[University of Sussex]]'s new library, also by Spence,<ref name="harrison">{{Cite book |last1=Berriman |first1=Sidney George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vW08AAAAMAAJ |title=British Public Library Buildings |last2=Harrison |first2=Kenneth Cecil |publisher=[[André Deutsch|Grafton Books]] |year=1966 |pages=64 |oclc=251753182}}</ref> [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] opened the library as Hampstead Public Library on 10 November 1964.<ref name="streets">{{Cite book |last=Wade |first=Christopher |title=Streets of Belsize |publisher=Camden Historical Society |year=2009 |isbn=978-0904491777 |pages=39}}</ref>  On opening, the library superseded Finchley Road Library as Hampstead's Central Library.<ref name="historyrev">{{Cite journal |year=2014 |last=Black |first=Alistair |title=The design of Swiss Cottage Library |journal=Camden History Review |publisher=Camden History Society |volume=38 |pages=10–14}}</ref> Present, amongst others, were Councillor Luigi Carlo Denza, then Mayor of Hampstead, Basil Spence and Sir [[Edwin McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of Moffat|Edwin McAlpine]], acting head of the library's construction firm at the time.<ref name="greenman">{{Cite magazine |date=January 1965 |title=Hampstead Civic Centre |magazine=The Green Man [magazine of McAlpine & Sons, developers] |pages=1–5}}</ref> Its title as Hampstead Central Library was later amended in light of the Hampstead's amalgamation and it was renamed as Swiss Cottage Central Library before its shortened name today.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 October 1967 |title=Russians bar wife of Brooke: Want deal on Krogers |pages=4 |work=The Guardian Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-journal/128919758/ |access-date=26 July 2023}}</ref>

=== Refurbishment and expansion ===
[[File:Swiss Cottage Library (2), August 2023 (03).jpg|thumb|Café added in the refurbishment|upright=1]]
In 1989, Camden reported that the swimming baths were underperforming and that Swiss Cottage Library, then being the largest and most used in the borough, had structural issues that required immediate address, even after remedial works in 1984.<ref>{{Cite report |title=Future Development of Swiss Cottage Centre |date=14 September 1989 |publisher=Leisure Services Committee, London Borough of Camden |pages=1–4}}</ref> The council announced in the late 1990s that it intended to regenerate Swiss Cottage Centre, and in 2003 [[John McAslan|John McAslan & Partners]] finished a refurbishment of Swiss Cottage Library to include a children's library and improved accessibility facilities,<ref name="hampsteadbook" /> at a cost of £7.9 million (equivalent to £{{Inflation|UK-GDP|7.86|2003|r=1}}&nbsp;million in {{inflation/year|UK-GDP}}). The overall centre redevelopment plan, including the demolition of Swiss Cottage Sports Centre (with the swimming baths) and the construction of Sir [[Terry Farrell (architect)|Terry Farrell]]'s Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre on the demolished site, was finished in 2007 at a cost of £85 million.<ref name="hampsteadbook" />

Whilst the accompanying sport centre's demolition was not controversial, it removed the library's complementing twin, which was factored into new designs.<ref name="riba">{{Cite journal |date=August 2003 |title=Tome Capsule |journal=[[RIBA Journal]] |pages=24–32|last=Stungo|first=Naomi}}</ref> Camden originally planned to demolish the library with Swiss Cottage Sports Centre,<ref name="riba" /> but was forced to instead refurbish it as a result of [[English Heritage]] designating it with a [[Grade II]] listing in December 1997;<ref name="postwarlisted">{{Cite book |last=Harwood |first=Elain |year=2000 |title=England: a guide to past-war listed buildings |publisher=Ellipsis |url=http://archive.org/details/englandguidetopa0000harw |isbn=978-1-84166-037-0 |pages=498}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1272259|desc=Swiss Cottage Library|grade=II|access-date=1 May 2021 |date=2 December 1997}}</ref> following the library's refurbishment, the Council acknowledged that demolition "would have been a mistake".<ref name="riba" /> The library was officially reopened by [[Tessa Jowell]] MP, the then [[Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]], who praised the building as "magnificently refurbished" and "an excellent example of the new face of public libraries".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ashcroft |first=Linda |year=2003 |title=Tessa Jowell hails LB Camden's Central Library as an excellent example of a "Fit for Purpose" Library |journal=New Library World |volume=104 |issue=1193 |pages=436–437}}</ref>

When Camden began irreversible works on the library in 1996, the then [[Department for National Heritage]] warned them of [[Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990|section 3 "spot-listing" powers]] they held,<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=23 February 1996 |title=Spence library may be listed to halt alterations |magazine=[[Building Design]] |page=4}}</ref> allowing them to list a building under emergency procedures if it was being considered for listing and at risk of demolition:<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weaver |first=Matt |date=30 July 2003 |title=History of conflict |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2003/jul/30/heritage.greenpolitics |access-date=11 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> English Heritage claimed their swift responses had been a result of a lack of notification for the developments in advance.<ref name="es86" /> Subsequently, the library was included in English Heritage's "Something Worth Keeping" exhibition of 65 buildings for possible listing, with the public being encouraged to comment: Swiss Cottage Library was later listed alongside the [[Royal College of Physicians#Facility|Royal College of Physicians building]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 March 1996 |title=Chalk and cheese, but both may end up listed |work=Ham & High}}</ref>

In late 1997, English Heritage controversially decided to list the library, against the council's wishes.<ref name="es86">{{Cite news |last=Bar-Hiller |first=Mira |date=28 February 1996 |title=Heritage lists Severn Bridge and a police station |pages=5 |work=[[Evening Standard]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-heritage-lists-severn-b/126581262/}}</ref> Camden Council opposed the listing vehemently from its first consideration in early 1996 and the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' described the building, alongside the Swimming Baths, as a "drab concrete complex", with the ''[[Ham & High]]'' additionally recording residents as calling the pair the "ugliest buildings in the borough", though most criticism was directed at the baths.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 February 1996 |title=Camden eyesore set to gain list status |work=[[Ham & High]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=22 February 1996 |title=Heritage blocks Swiss Cottage arts centre plan |work=[[Camden New Journal]]}}</ref> Local councillors were dismayed and the Council argued it was more important to support private investors in funding a new library through the [[private finance initiative]] than the maintenance of a building with chronic issues,<ref name="insidecamden">{{Cite magazine |last=Jackson |first=Stacey |date=April 2003 |title=Did they know what they were letting themselves in for? |magazine=Inside Camden |page=4}}</ref> whilst others argued listing would encourage a more preservative restoration.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 1996 |title=Architect's Journal defends 'ugliest' building |work=Ham & High}}</ref>

The refurbishment, despite being widely acclaimed, was subject to numerous delays and significantly overbudget, in part a result of the project's primary contractor going into administration; McAslan and Camden's relationship was described as "bumpy".<ref name="riba" /> Later in 2006, Camden Council sued McAslan & Partners for £500,000 as a result of delays in supply and a cost increase in the contract by £1.5 million.<ref name="BD">{{Cite news |title=McAslan sued over library |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/274460484 |access-date=10 September 2022 |work=[[Building Design]] |via=[[ProQuest]] |date=24 February 2006| id={{ProQuest|274460484}} }}</ref> McAslan defended the delays, arguing "It was less than 10% late", a comparatively small delay in construction, and commenting on additional removals needing to be carried out.<ref name="BD" />

In spite of refurbishments, Camden began a major overhaul of its library service in 2011, looking to cut its budget by £2 million due to falling borrower numbers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siddiq |first=Tulip |date=12 December 2013 |title=How a team of volunteers saved Camden's at risk libraries |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/dec/12/library-cuts-volunteers-saved-camdens-libraries |access-date=7 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Swiss Cottage Library, costing the council £1.2 million per year at the time, was on a list of potential libraries to be closed, with McAslan remarking that the library's closure would be a "tragedy" for the community.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Klettner |first=Andrea |date=11 February 2011 |title=Two landmark library buildings under threat |journal=[[Building Design]] |issue=1952 |pages=3 |via=[[EBSCO Information Services|EBSCO]]}}</ref> The library remained open and underwent a low-carbon retrofit in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carrier |first=Dan |date=6 January 2023 |title=Eco 2023: Swiss Cottage Library, the mission to retrofit an architectural gem |website=[[Camden New Journal]] |url=https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/eco-2023-swiss-cottage-library-the-mission-to-retrofit-an-architectural-gem |access-date=22 August 2023}}</ref>

== Details ==
{{multiple image
|image1=Swiss Cottage Library, August 2023 (11).jpg
|caption1="Fins" on the exterior of the library
|image2=Swiss Cottage Library (2), August 2023 (04).jpg
|caption2=First floor, facing the reference library
|image3=Swiss Cottage Library (2), August 2023 (12).jpg
|caption3=Spiral staircases in the reference library
|direction=vertical
|width=230px
}}
Built in the ubiquitous [[Modern architecture|Modernist]] style of the 1960s, Spence took inspiration from the vast open-space and minimalism of Scandinavian libraries,<ref name="historyrev" /> visiting them to take notes on the designs.{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=5}}<ref name="harrison" />

=== Exterior ===
The library measures {{convert|250|ft}} by {{convert|75|ft}} with three storeys, and features 238 narrow 2-tonne "fins" made from a [[Portland stone]] aggregate on a pill-shaped structure, resembling the leaves of a book.<ref name="streets" /> The fins were designed to protect readers from strong sunlight and additionally block noise pollution,<ref name="harrison" />{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=5}} whilst the semi-circular structure was reminiscent of some of Spence's earlier home designs.<ref name="historyrev" /> The library's location in Swiss Cottage, described by Spence as the "gateway to North London",<ref name="hampreport" /> was criticised due to significant noise pollution from the arterial [[Finchley Road]] that it borders.<ref name="aj1959" />

The borough council complemented the library by commissioning a bronze sculpture by [[F. E. McWilliam]], titled ''[[The Hampstead Figure]]'', as part of the initial stages of landscaping, which was unveiled by the Queen following the library.<ref name="conc" /><ref name="hampreport" />

=== Interior ===
Entry is via a semi-circular foyer with the main staircase in front on entrance;{{sfn|Library Association Record|1964|p=508}} originally lending and return counters were positioned on either side, though these were moved to their respective libraries following the refurbishment.<ref name="riba" /> Spence made use of a lowered ground floor roof to hide the upper floors, revealing the vast atrium as one ascends the [[terrazzo]]-lined staircase, with an initial view of the lending library: the upper floors are [[cantilevered]] to create the entrance area.{{sfn|Library Association Record|1964|p=508}} A private staff area from the ground floor leads to a two-storey [[bookstack]], which has capacity for 200,000 books.<ref name="conc" /> The wider atrium of the first floor is an exhibition space with the two lending and reference libraries positioned around it, on either pole of the structure. Along the length there is a children's library, with more open usage of colour to contrast with the mostly monotone grey throughout;<ref>{{Cite journal |date=25 November 1964 |title=Library |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_architects-journal_1964-11-25_140_22 |journal=Architects' Journal |volume=140 |issue=22 |pages=1245–1255 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> additionally there are study areas, a periodicals room and formerly the borough's local history department, now relocated to [[Holborn Library]].<ref name="historyrev" /> Nine [[carrel desk|study carrels]] were available for library users, including one typing carrel, soundproofed, and an artist's carrel with running water.<ref name="harrison" />

Both the lending and reference libraries retain their unique spiral staircases which in the reference library leads to an upper floor that includes 40 desks.<ref name="harrison" /> The second floor hosts music and philosophy libraries, the latter being the library's specialisation;{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=5}} a café was added alongside in the 2000s refurbishment.<ref name="insidecamden" /> Throughout the library transparent partitions are used to create a more fluid and open feeling, in keeping with Spence's Scandinavian inspiration,<ref name="conc" /> and consistency through colouring and flooring serves to join the different sections into one, rather than the feeling of a divided library.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Maidment |first=William R. |date=1 December 1965 |title=Spencerian Style for Hampstead |journal=[[Library Journal]]}}</ref> Furniture was specially designed by Spence for the library, though most was controversially removed in the refurbishment and replaced with furnishings of a similar style. Whilst the ''[[RIBA Journal]]'' defended the new furniture, calling it "pretty good" for local authority standards,<ref name="riba" /> [[Camden Arts Centre]] director Jenni Lomax, writing in ''[[The Guardian]]'', argued that the removal "[destroyed] its initial integrity".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lomax |first=Jenni |date=3 May 2004 |title=Wonders and blunders |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2004/may/03/wondersandblunders.architecture |access-date=22 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Spence's "floating" bookshelves additionally delineate the floor into casual studying areas: the library's fins also hide the bookcases' backs, preventing an unsatisfying effect from the outside.<ref name="conc" />

== Commentary ==
{{Quote box
 |quote  = May I say how pleased I am to come here to see these fine buildings[...]<br />There is ample opportunity to enrich the mind and exercise the body in surroundings as we can all see are architecturally most attractive.
 |author = Queen Elizabeth II
 |source = Opening Speech{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=2}}
 |width  = 300px
}}
Speaking to thousands at the opening, the Queen acclaimed Spence's library as "really wonderful" and described Hampstead as "so interesting".{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=1}} She heralded the specialised facilities available for readers in the library as well as accessibility measures for the disabled.{{sfn|Ham & High|1964a|p=2}}

[[File:Swiss Cottage Library (2), August 2023 (01).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|The ground floor's lowered roof]]
The library was viewed positively by reviewers, with many commenting on the fluidity of the library's line work complementing the [[louvre (window)|louvre]]s of the adjacent swimming baths, bringing together two buildings with great differences in purpose. ''[[Concrete Quarterly]]'' called the building "spacious and well-equipped",<ref name="conc">{{Cite journal |date=October–December 1964 |editor-last=Campbell |editor-first=Betty |title=Swimming baths and library: for the first stage of the new civic centre at Hampstead |journal=[[Concrete Quarterly]] |location=London |issue=63}}</ref> while the ''[[Library Association Record]]'' was also greatly appreciative, praising it as "another splendid library building", though in their conclusion they noted that it was an "architect's building first, and a librarian's second".{{sfn|Library Association Record|1964|p=509}} 

In the ''[[Hampstead & Highgate Express]]'' however, some residents disapproved of the earlier opening hours compared to libraries in other boroughs like [[Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich|Greenwich]], with others defending the older library as "perfectly adequate", with no need to waste the Borough's remaining funds on the project.{{sfn|Ham & High|1964b|p=5}} The library's entrance was criticised as "unimpressive" and the entrance "gloomy" and "uninviting", a side-effect of Spence's design to open up the floors as the visitor progresses up the stairs.{{sfn|Library Association Record|1964|p=504}}

The library's refurbishment was acclaimed by [[English Heritage]] as "a success in both architectural and heritage terms".<ref name="riba" /> [[Elain Harwood]], writing for [[Historic England]], named it as one of the few post-war libraries that had been "sensitively refurbished",<ref name="he" /> and Historic England also highlighted it "amongst the most ambitious architectural designs for a library found anywhere" in its Grade II listing.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1272259|desc=Swiss Cottage Library}}</ref> [[Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals|CILIP]], the UK's professional body for librarians, awarded the refurbishment the Public Library Building Award in 2005,{{sfn|Dewe|2009|p=10}} and called the refurbishment "sensitive [and] intelligent" in its journal.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Harper |first=Philippa |date=July 2006 |title=Library design has arrived |journal=CILIP Update}}</ref>

== References ==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}
;Sources
* {{Cite report |title=Swiss Cottage Sports Centre and Library: investigation and assessment of the primary structure of the buildings with options and recommendations for the future |date=25 June 1991 |publisher=Leisure Services Committee, London Borough of Camden|ref = {{harvid|LB Camden|1991}}}}
* {{Cite journal |date=December 1964 |title=New library for Hampstead |journal=[[Library Association Record]] |volume=66 |pages=502–509 |ref = {{harvid|Library Association Record|1964}}}}
* {{Cite news |date=13 November 1964a |title=The Queen's Comment: It's Wonderful: Royal opening of new baths and library |work=Hampstead & Highgate Express |issue=5425 |ref = {{harvid|Ham & High|1964a}}}}
* {{Cite news |date=20 November 1964b |title=Letters to the editor: For and against the civic centre |work=Hampstead & Highgate Express |issue=5426 |ref = {{harvid|Ham & High|1964b}}}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dewe |first=Michael |title=Renewing our libraries: case studies in re-planning and refurbishment |date=2009 |publisher=Ashgate |isbn=978-0-7546-7339-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/renewingourlibra0000unse |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}

{{in5|3}}† Many of these resources are solely available from [[Holborn Library]].

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Black |first=Alistair |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315592336-12/hampstead-central-library-light-alistair-black |title=Libraries of Light |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2017 |isbn=9781315592336 |edition=1st |chapter=Hampstead Central Library: into the light |doi=10.4324/9781315592336 |chapter-url-access=subscription}}

== External links ==
* {{commons category-inline|Swiss Cottage Library}}
* [https://www.camden.gov.uk/swisscottagelibrary Official website]
* {{gbmapping|TQ275841}}

{{LB Camden}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Library buildings completed in 1964]]
[[Category:Public libraries in London]]
[[Category:Libraries in the London Borough of Camden]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden]]
[[Category:Grade II listed library buildings]]
[[Category:Basil Spence buildings]]
[[Category:Swiss Cottage]]