In a modern society in which we all enjoy immediate access to information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then what should a library for the 21st century look like and what should it offer to the public" This was the simple question which The Word, National Centre for the Written Word seeks to answer. 

© Hufton+Crow

Architects: FaulknerBrowns Architects

Location: South Shields, United Kingdom

Architect In Charge: Stephen McIntyre, Nick Heyward, Steve Dickson

Area: 4115.0 m2

Project Year: 2016

Photographs: Hufton+Crow

Structural Engineers: Curtins Consulting

M+E Engineers: Desco

Main Contractor: Bowmer and Kirkland
© Hufton+Crow

From the architect. In a modern society in which we all enjoy immediate access to information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then what should a library for the 21st century look like and what should it offer to the public" This was the simple question which The Word, National Centre for the Written Word seeks to answer. It was clear to us that to respond to this challenge would require a reinterpretation of the building typology. 

© Hufton+Crow

The site for The Word is an extremely prominent gateway to the town centre. It provides a strong link between the Ferry Terminal and South Shields town centre and serves to link the riverside char...