Morgan Sindall Construction and Overbury to transform Nottingham's new Central Library

Anticipation is building for Nottingham City Council’s new Central Library, which sits at the heart of the Broad Marsh regeneration area, as Morgan Sindall Construction and sister company Overbury begin work on the interior fit out and refurbishment.

Working together with acclaimed architects FaulknerBrowns, project manager Pick Everard and M&E consultancy Chord, Morgan Sindall Construction and Overbury will transform the new Central Library shell into three modern levels split into creative zones. The project has prioritised cost-effective modern design and specification with bespoke feature joinery and ceilings, which take inspiration from Nottingham's lace making heritage. The outstanding design also utilises carefully selected materials, including timber for a natural aesthetic and improved sustainability.

It will also feature a high-quality children’s library with an immersive story telling room, extensive book collection and comfortable areas to sit and read. Other amenities will include a cafe and ground floor reception area - which can be converted into a performance space, a learning lab for special activities and school class visits, meeting rooms, exhibition space and creative design areas. Forming part of the new Broad Marsh Car Park and Bus Station complex, the library is scheduled to open to the public in the Summer 2023.

Andrew Wood, Managing Director at Overbury, said: “Starting work on this important project for the region is incredibly exciting. Our team has years of high-quality experience to help smoothly collaborate with stakeholder partners, which will expertly bring the inspiring interior design for the new Central Library to life. Throughout the project, we also look forward to prioritising social value and sustainability, which is extremely important to us and touches everything we do."

The Central Library forms one of the key elements of the regeneration of the city’s Southside area and will be surrounded by transformed streets, with pedestrianisation, planting and seating. There are also plans for a new plaza to link through the demolished section of the former shopping centre to Lister Gate and the city centre beyond. A masterplan is in place outlining a vision for the Broad Marsh site, including green space, an enhanced entrance to the City of Caves attraction and a mixture of housing, retail and leisure uses.

Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture & Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “We are looking forward to working with Overbury to transform the interior of the Central Library, working together to see our vision for a modern library come to life. The bright state-of-the-art facility will include a fantastic children’s library and some great features and we are excited to see the work progress to create a fantastic facility for everyone to use and enjoy.”

The library is the first major project that Overbury has procured through SCAPE – one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities – following Morgan Sindall Construction’s appointment to the SCAPE national framework last year.

Rob Cant, Framework Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “The ability for us to work with sister companies Overbury and Lovell to deliver work on the SCAPE framework will be a huge benefit. It means we are able to provide a complete offering across every sector with clients having direct access to leading experts in construction, interior fitout and housing. On top of that, our purpose and values align perfectly with that of SCAPE’s as we collectively strive to transform local communities and leave meaningful and lasting legacies behind.”

With a focus on social value, Morgan Sindall Construction and Overbury have committed to building back into the city by allocating project spend with local Nottinghamshire businesses and the wider Midlands region, with part of the spend allocated for not-for-profit local enterprises. Furthermore, the companies’ an in-house carbon calculation tool ‘CarboniCa’ will be used to measure the embodied carbon of the project.

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE said: “The Central Library is an excellent example of how a regeneration project can breathe new life into an area and deliver true social value that benefits the local community and businesses. With the support of our expert delivery team and integrated social value approach, we are excited to work with Morgan Sindall Construction and Overbury to accelerate this project forward and create a sustainable legacy for the people of Nottingham.”