The Hive, Worcester

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The Hive
The Hive, Public Library, Worcester, UK.JPG
The Hive, Worcester
General information
Type Library
Architectural style
AddressSawmill Walk, The Butts
Town or city Worcester
Country England
Opened2 July 2012 (2012-07-02)
Cost£29.7 million
Client
Technical details
Floor area12,371m2
Design and construction
Architecture firm Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Structural engineer
Services engineer Max Fordham
Other designersCopper Cladding - Norman and Underwood Ltd
Main contractor Galliford Try
Website
www.thehiveworcester.org

The Hive, is a large golden-coloured building in Worcester, England, which houses the fully integrated Worcestershire County Council, City of Worcester public library, the University of Worcester's academic library, Worcestershire Record Office, the county Archive and Worcestershire Archaeology Service.

Contents

History

The Hive was procured under a private finance initiative programme and was built by Galliford Try at a cost of £60 million. [1] The Hive's joint commissioning clients were the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council. Funding was also provided by the National Lottery and the British government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Education. It was opened to the public on 2 July 2012 and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 July 2012. [2]

Visitors

The library houses over a quarter of a million books. [3] According to the Annual Public Library Statistics from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), The Hive issued 903,859 books during the financial year 2013/14 and achieved 978,199 visits. This placed it in first position in the West Midlands. [4]

Aerial view of The Hive and surrounding landscape Hive-Ariel.Jpg
Aerial view of The Hive and surrounding landscape
The Hive during construction in June 2011 The Hive, Worcester, England - DSCF0795.JPG
The Hive during construction in June 2011

Awards

Awards include:

Further reading

Better Public Libraries; Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment; 2003 RIBA Journal; April 2012 CIBSE Journal; March 2013

Related Research Articles

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Worcestershire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The city of Worcester is the largest settlement and the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidderminster</span> Human settlement in England

Kidderminster is a market and historic minster town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, 17 miles (27 km) south-west of Birmingham and 15 miles (24 km) north of Worcester. Located north of the River Stour and east of the River Severn, in the 2021 census, it had a population of 57,400. The town is twinned with Husum, Germany.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malvern Hills</span> Hills in central England

The Malvern Hills are in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern. The highest summit affords a panorama of the Severn Valley, the hills of Herefordshire and the Welsh mountains, parts of thirteen counties, the Bristol Channel, and the cathedrals of Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redditch</span> Borough in England

Redditch is a town and borough in Worcestershire, England. It is located south of Birmingham, east of Bromsgrove, northwest of Alcester and northeast of Worcester. The borough had a population of 87,037 in 2021. In the 19th century, it became a centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Dudley</span> Metropolitan borough in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough of West Midlands, England. It was created in 1974 following the Local Government Act 1972, through a merger of the existing Dudley County Borough with the municipal boroughs of Stourbridge and Halesowen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Worcester</span> Public university in Worcester, England

The University of Worcester is a public research university, based in Worcester, England. Worcester is the only university based in the counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. With a history dating back to 1946, the university began awarding degrees in 1997 and was granted full university status in 2005.

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Hoare Lea is a UK-based, multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm, specialising in building services. The firm works with clients from the detailed design stage right through to delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's, Worcester</span> Suburb of Worcester, England

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Worcestershire Record Office is located in Worcester, England, as a part of Worcestershire County Council. The Worcestershire Record Office comprises three branches, two of which are located in County Hall, the third at The Hive, Worcester.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway railway station</span> Railway station in Warwickshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcestershire Parkway railway station</span> Railway station in Worcestershire, England

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Nicholas Hare Architects is a UK architectural practice, with a portfolio of award-winning projects. These include schools, higher education, refurbishment, commercial projects, and buildings for the arts. Founded by Nicholas Hare in 1977, the practice is now a limited liability partnership with over 50 employees. The office is based in an old book-binding factory in Barnsbury Square in Islington. Nicholas Hare Architects LLP is a member of the UK Green Building Council and achieves BREEAM Excellent rating for several of its completed buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Worcester</span>

Worcester's early importance is partly due to its position on trade routes, but also because it was a centre of Church learning and wealth, due to the very large possessions of the See and Priory accumulated in the Anglo-Saxon period. After the reformation, Worcester continued as a centre of learning, with two early grammar schools with strong links to Oxford University.

References

  1. "Footbridge installed at Worcester's Hive project". BBC. 19 September 2011.
  2. "The day the Queen came to Worcester". Worcester News. 12 July 2012.
  3. "The Hive Website". The Hive. The Hive, Worcester. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  4. "Worcester Library most popular in the West Midlands". CIPFA.
  5. "Archive news from the Worcester News". www.worcesternews.co.uk.
  6. "Hive's green theme helps it land award". Worcester News.
  7. "University wins prestigious Times Higher Ward". Worcester University.
  8. "Sustainable project of the year 2013". Building.
  9. "The Hive". Civic Trust Awards.
  10. "University of Worcester Scoops National Newspaper Award - The Hive". www.thehiveworcester.org.
  11. "Hive Wins International Award - The Hive". www.thehiveworcester.org.
  12. "Elections 2019 Results - Worcester City Council". www.worcester.gov.uk.
  13. "The Hive". BREEM.
  14. "The Hive scoops national sustainability award - The Hive". www.thehiveworcester.org.

52°11′38″N2°13′33″W / 52.19378°N 2.22594°W / 52.19378; -2.22594