ROYAL OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEWCASTLE CITY LIBRARY

Kajima Partnerships, a leading public sector developer and PFI provider, recently hosted the royal official opening of its £25 million Newcastle Libraries PFI project alongside its project partners, Ryder Architecture and Tolent, at an event attended by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh on the 6th November.

Built on the site of the former library by Princess Square, Newcastle City Library extends to some 8,000m2 and includes a 180-seat performance space, displays of local heritage treasures including some of the city's oldest and rarest books, and meeting rooms for community groups.

At the recent Public Library Building Awards, the new library won three awards including an award for innovation and accessibility. Since the building opened in June this year, over 500,000 people have visited the library and the building has been extremely well received by the people of Newcastle.

Morton Corbitt, Head of Development, Kajima Partnerships Limited, said: "This project is a valuable contribution to the city of Newcastle providing a centre for education, culture and the arts. It reflects Kajima's continued tradition of delivering award winning PFI design that is inspiring and welcoming, encouraging people to visit and enjoy that experience. We believe this will prove to be a benchmark model for 21st century library facilities."

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