Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-born industrialist who lived in the US. He believed that the rich should use their wealth to improve society and dedicated the last 18 years of his life to philanthropy. In 1879, he offered Dunfermline, the town where he was born, £5,000 to build a public library. The resulting building and its contents were an example to the world, and the first of almost 3,000 Carnegie public libraries built across the globe.
Now, Edinburgh-based firm Richard Murphy Architects has created an award-winning extension to the inaugural Carnegie Library in Dunfermline as part of its fourth renovation since it was opened in 1883. The site now comprises two buildings, which house the library, a new museum, exhibition galleries, a local history reading room, children’s library and cafe.
I travelled there by car and there are just two signs off the main road to show you the general direction of the site. After that you are on your own in terms of finding parking space and the building itself.
In terms of appearance, the columned frontage of the original building is impressive and imposing, and it is not until you walk down the side that you see the extent of the redevelopment. Greeted by a double-height wood and glass entrance, I was surprised given the traditional facade. Built in a number of disjointed blocks of metal, wood and glass the extension is totally different from the original library building, but complementary in style and feel to the existing stone and pebbledash structure.
Community venue
Inside, the different spaces, heights and materials seem overwhelming on entering. An engaging summary-style display creates intrigue as you step into the foyer. Throughout the building large windows and glass corners frame surrounding views of the town. This allows you to see and understand how this modern building sits at the heart of the town’s heritage and history.
The old part of the library has been freshened up with the renovation, but has retained its traditional feel. It is spacious and bright, with an original domed painted ceiling, under which different areas have been created among the bookcases.
On opening day it was already busily in use. At the back I stumbled on a corridor-style community gallery showing local artwork – a nice bright space, if a little tucked away.
Along the corridor you find the reading room, a steeply stepped space filled with reference books and displays of archives and special collections. The new children’s library opens onto the landscaped gardens, bringing the outside in, and when I visited it had a lovely atmosphere with children and parents exploring all the nooks and crannies.
The museum focuses on the people of Dunfermline and the industry that helped develop the settlement. The building comprises a mixture of spaces and the displays take you on a journey through the town’s history, using the different sizes and shapes of the spaces well. Smaller areas are used to tell more personal stories while the larger ones concentrate on the town as a whole.
The interpretation throughout is fantastic and I enjoyed the varying levels of access to it: you can read basic information on the panels; pick up the cards and read further details; or listen to stories from the local community via handsets, explaining, reminiscing and remembering, all the while enjoying the interactives that are integrated alongside learning tools in the displays.
The curation too sparks conversation and encourages engagement with the varied topics it covers. My favourite part was the kitchen, showing the changes in this everyday room over the years. The reason I enjoyed it so much was being able to listen to three generations of women discussing what they remembered, sharing stories about their experiences in the home and laughing about what they thought was so modern at the time.
Similarly, at the display about having fun, I watched a video of a family discussing and recalling their childhoods as they explored a huge case filled with everything from toys to shoes. Upstairs in the war displays, the atmosphere changes and the content is more object and story focused. The areas are more intimate and I found myself standing closer. The interpretation and curation is personable, and I realised I was smiling as I read the stories, reminiscing about tales from my own family.
Inspiring experience
Walking into the large double-height space of the galleries felt different to the museum, being separated cleverly by flexible walls and lit mainly by skylight. The current exhibitions are entitled We Made It! and Art in Trust. The former tells the story of the redevelopment and outreach projects that have helped place the new libraries and galleries at the heart of the community. It is a celebration of the local populace and inspiring to see how many volunteers have been involved throughout the project.
The interpretation in this part is interesting but rather different to the main body of the museum. I found it text-heavy and I missed the people involved telling their own stories. While I enjoyed the screens and listening devices playing content from the community-wide oral history project, I would have liked to have seen photographs of the people involved so I could visualise whose story I was listening to. The objects in the display cases near some of the wall panels also lack labelling and are a little confusing as to their connection to the stories.
Art in Trust showcases some of the trust’s collection of artwork, featuring the likes of Scottish landscape artist William McTaggart (1835-1910) and English industrial artist LS Lowry (1887-1976). The works chosen to represent the collection seem random when viewed together in one room and perhaps could have been better themed. Unfortunately, they are lit by ceiling spotlights, which means that any glazed artworks are rather hard to see.
On my way out of the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries I made sure that I took a seat next to the charismatic life-size statues of poet Robert Burns’s characters Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnnie in the gardens. As I sat there, I enjoyed looking back at the remarkable building I had just visited.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Dunfermline and found it exciting and inspiring. The venue was easy to navigate, and I definitely got the sense that the museum puts local people, communities and their stories right at the heart of the site.
Beccy Angus is the learning and outreach officer at Rosslyn Chapel Trust, Scotland
Main funders Fife Council; Heritage Lottery Fund; Carnegie Dunfermline Trust
Architect Richard Murphy Architects
Exhibition design Redman Design
Graphic design Redman Design
Interpretation Fife Cultural Trust
Display cases ClickNetherfield
Installation Museum Workshop Construction BAM
Audiovisuals Centre Screen
Fitout Beck Interiors
Exhibition ends Bristling With Guns: How Tanks and Artillery Came to Fife After the First World War, until 17 Sep; Art In Trust, until 31 Dec; We Made It! until 31 Dec
Admission Free
Now, Edinburgh-based firm Richard Murphy Architects has created an award-winning extension to the inaugural Carnegie Library in Dunfermline as part of its fourth renovation since it was opened in 1883. The site now comprises two buildings, which house the library, a new museum, exhibition galleries, a local history reading room, children’s library and cafe.
I travelled there by car and there are just two signs off the main road to show you the general direction of the site. After that you are on your own in terms of finding parking space and the building itself.
In terms of appearance, the columned frontage of the original building is impressive and imposing, and it is not until you walk down the side that you see the extent of the redevelopment. Greeted by a double-height wood and glass entrance, I was surprised given the traditional facade. Built in a number of disjointed blocks of metal, wood and glass the extension is totally different from the original library building, but complementary in style and feel to the existing stone and pebbledash structure.
Community venue
Inside, the different spaces, heights and materials seem overwhelming on entering. An engaging summary-style display creates intrigue as you step into the foyer. Throughout the building large windows and glass corners frame surrounding views of the town. This allows you to see and understand how this modern building sits at the heart of the town’s heritage and history.
The old part of the library has been freshened up with the renovation, but has retained its traditional feel. It is spacious and bright, with an original domed painted ceiling, under which different areas have been created among the bookcases.
On opening day it was already busily in use. At the back I stumbled on a corridor-style community gallery showing local artwork – a nice bright space, if a little tucked away.
Along the corridor you find the reading room, a steeply stepped space filled with reference books and displays of archives and special collections. The new children’s library opens onto the landscaped gardens, bringing the outside in, and when I visited it had a lovely atmosphere with children and parents exploring all the nooks and crannies.
The museum focuses on the people of Dunfermline and the industry that helped develop the settlement. The building comprises a mixture of spaces and the displays take you on a journey through the town’s history, using the different sizes and shapes of the spaces well. Smaller areas are used to tell more personal stories while the larger ones concentrate on the town as a whole.
The interpretation throughout is fantastic and I enjoyed the varying levels of access to it: you can read basic information on the panels; pick up the cards and read further details; or listen to stories from the local community via handsets, explaining, reminiscing and remembering, all the while enjoying the interactives that are integrated alongside learning tools in the displays.
The curation too sparks conversation and encourages engagement with the varied topics it covers. My favourite part was the kitchen, showing the changes in this everyday room over the years. The reason I enjoyed it so much was being able to listen to three generations of women discussing what they remembered, sharing stories about their experiences in the home and laughing about what they thought was so modern at the time.
Similarly, at the display about having fun, I watched a video of a family discussing and recalling their childhoods as they explored a huge case filled with everything from toys to shoes. Upstairs in the war displays, the atmosphere changes and the content is more object and story focused. The areas are more intimate and I found myself standing closer. The interpretation and curation is personable, and I realised I was smiling as I read the stories, reminiscing about tales from my own family.
Inspiring experience
Walking into the large double-height space of the galleries felt different to the museum, being separated cleverly by flexible walls and lit mainly by skylight. The current exhibitions are entitled We Made It! and Art in Trust. The former tells the story of the redevelopment and outreach projects that have helped place the new libraries and galleries at the heart of the community. It is a celebration of the local populace and inspiring to see how many volunteers have been involved throughout the project.
The interpretation in this part is interesting but rather different to the main body of the museum. I found it text-heavy and I missed the people involved telling their own stories. While I enjoyed the screens and listening devices playing content from the community-wide oral history project, I would have liked to have seen photographs of the people involved so I could visualise whose story I was listening to. The objects in the display cases near some of the wall panels also lack labelling and are a little confusing as to their connection to the stories.
Art in Trust showcases some of the trust’s collection of artwork, featuring the likes of Scottish landscape artist William McTaggart (1835-1910) and English industrial artist LS Lowry (1887-1976). The works chosen to represent the collection seem random when viewed together in one room and perhaps could have been better themed. Unfortunately, they are lit by ceiling spotlights, which means that any glazed artworks are rather hard to see.
On my way out of the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries I made sure that I took a seat next to the charismatic life-size statues of poet Robert Burns’s characters Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnnie in the gardens. As I sat there, I enjoyed looking back at the remarkable building I had just visited.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Dunfermline and found it exciting and inspiring. The venue was easy to navigate, and I definitely got the sense that the museum puts local people, communities and their stories right at the heart of the site.
Beccy Angus is the learning and outreach officer at Rosslyn Chapel Trust, Scotland
Project data
Cost £12.4mMain funders Fife Council; Heritage Lottery Fund; Carnegie Dunfermline Trust
Architect Richard Murphy Architects
Exhibition design Redman Design
Graphic design Redman Design
Interpretation Fife Cultural Trust
Display cases ClickNetherfield
Installation Museum Workshop Construction BAM
Audiovisuals Centre Screen
Fitout Beck Interiors
Exhibition ends Bristling With Guns: How Tanks and Artillery Came to Fife After the First World War, until 17 Sep; Art In Trust, until 31 Dec; We Made It! until 31 Dec
Admission Free
