BirminghamLibrary

The curved fire screens are among the most technically distinctive elements of the project. Positioned around the atria, each followed a different geometry and carried its own design requirements, preventing the use of one repeated standard detail.

Every screen was therefore drawn and coordinated individually before installation. The challenge was to resolve the fire performance, support and changing radii within an apparently simple glazed form, allowing the screens to follow the architecture without introducing unnecessary visual weight.

Beyond the atria, the glazing package responds to a wide range of uses, from gallery and exhibition spaces to music rooms, public areas and specialist collections. High-performance acoustic screens were introduced around the music facilities, alongside acoustic windows, sliding windows and bespoke double-glazed screens.

Revolution 100 double-glazed partitions were developed for acoustic ratings of Rw40dB and Rw48dB, while pocket sliding doors on Levels 2 and 3 were designed to achieve Rw30dB. Elsewhere, Optima 117 Plus, frameless glass doors, fire-rated screens and automatic double doors allowed the specification to shift between transparency, acoustic control, access and life-safety requirements.

The architectural clarity of the completed glazing conceals the amount of engineering required to produce it. Independently supported screens, changing curves, fire-resistant assemblies and bespoke interfaces all had to be coordinated within a building where few conditions were repeated.

As Mecanoo’s Patrick Arends reflected:

“Achieving a simple, seamless appearance requires complex engineering and it is credit to Optima as to how they have engineered their products to meet our brief. The end result is quite simply a triumph.”

That relationship between technical complexity and visual restraint defines Optima’s contribution to the Library of Birmingham: highly specialised glazed elements resolved with enough precision to become part of the architecture rather than compete with it.