Paisley Central Library takes home silver at prestigious Scottish Design Awards

Paisley Central Library has been recognised for its innovative design after taking home silver in the Regeneration category at the Scottish Design Awards.

Located within Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub, the library is part of an ongoing drive to regenerate Paisley and give people new reasons to visit the town centre.

Housed within a former High Street shop and spread over four floors, the new building includes a reception area, children’s library and storytelling area – with a unique play structure including a climbing wall and slide also in place having been co-designed with renowned Scottish artist Claire Barclay.

The upper floors include an outdoor terrace, community rooms and a study area for young adults, as well as free Wi-Fi and PC access to support digital inclusivity.

The venue is operated by local culture and leisure trust OneRen who have an exciting programme of events in place for all ages, including recently hosting Paisley Book Festival, scheduled author visits, Bookbug sessions for families, and storytelling workshops.

Chris Dalrymple, Head of Facilities and Property Services at Renfrewshire Council, said: “I was delighted to attend the awards and see the library included in such brilliant array of projects.

“Taking home silver is fantastic recognition for everyone involved, but especially our Property Services team and Collective Architecture who we worked closely with to transform the building into a modern facility for the community.

“The number of people using the library since it reopened is through the roof and long may this continue as we aim to engage local people, young and old, in their local libraries.”

The design team was led by Collective Architecture with the aim of creating a ‘welcoming, accessible and inclusive library’ for Paisley.

Ewan Imrie, Director and Project Architect said: “I am absolutely delighted that Paisley Central Library has won a Scottish Design Award. Our design was intended to fulfil the Council’s vision for a truly welcoming, accessible, and inclusive library.

“We wanted to create a ‘living room’ for Paisley, where people of all ages and backgrounds could explore the diverse spaces across its four floors. The folded paper-themed façade is meant to spark curiosity and invite the community in. Seeing the project recognized in this way is incredibly gratifying. This award is a testament to the hard work and creativity of everyone involved”.

The building was delivered in partnership with hub West Scotland, who have hailed the latest success after winning ESG Refurbishment of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards earlier this year.

Angeline Robertson, Partnership Director at hub West Scotland said: “We are delighted that Paisley Central Library has won the Silver Award at the Scottish Design Awards.  The addition of the Library to the High Street has had a huge visual impact as well as increasing footfall to the library. It brings the community together in a fantastic environment that is designed for adults, teenagers, and young children, catering for all the different user needs. Well done to Renfrewshire Council for their success.”

For more information, visit www.oneren.org/culture/libraries or www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/paisley.