Editing Birmingham Central Library (section)

==Campaigns to save the building==
Several campaign groups were set up to save the library building from demolition. Groups such as Friends of Central Library, the [[Twentieth Century Society]], [[English Heritage]] and [[World Monuments Fund]] supported the retention of the library.

[[English Heritage]] applied twice in 2002 and 2007 for the Central Library to be [[Listed building|listed]]. On both occasions the [[Department for Culture, Media and Sport|Minister for Culture]] refused the application. On the second occasion, [[Margaret Hodge]], the Minister for Culture, stated that "the building did not have sufficient historical or architectural importance to merit listing". In 2009, following an application from [[Birmingham City Council]] for a [[Certificate of Immunity from Listing]], [[Margaret Hodge]] signed the certificate which would be in place until 2016.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

In 2011 the [[World Monuments Fund]] included the library on its watch list along with [[Preston bus station]] stating that the buildings were dramatically sited and uncompromising in their stark use of concrete and powerfully structural forms. They brought a sense of the monumental to the British urban landscape at the time of their construction and remain architectural icons. It was hoped that placing these buildings on the watch list would open dialogue into their protection and alternatives for adaptive reuse. [[Preston bus station]] was saved from demolition and listed at [[Listed building|Grade II]] in September 2013; however dialogue on the demolition of the Central Library did not progress.<ref name="AB"/>

A fresh appreciation of the library began to emerge as the Council declared their intention to demolish it. The movement was led by artists and writers mainly of the 1960s generation who had grown up with it. [[Jonathan Meades]] appreciated the "guts and attack" of the library, and spoke negatively of the council's policies, stating "you don’t get a car and never get it serviced". Brutalist architecture was becoming more appreciated in the 21st Century with the listing of [[Preston bus station]], [[Trellick Tower]] and the rejuvenation of [[Park Hill, Sheffield|Park Hill]] in [[Sheffield]]. Books celebrating brutalism were published and television shows featuring brutalist buildings began to feature with greater regularity. The Central Library was chosen to represent the location of [[MI5]] HQ in [[BBC]] series ''[[The Game (UK TV series)|The Game]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brutalist Beauty|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/concrete-buildings-brutalist-beauty-9057223.html|date=14 January 2014|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=15 December 2014|location=London|first=Christopher|last=Beanland}}</ref>

Friends of Central Library presented an alternative plan to the council and its developers which retained the library at the centre of the [[Paradise Circus, Birmingham|Paradise Circus]] scheme. It argued that the library could be used for a range of alternative uses and demolition after 40 years went against all principles of [[sustainability]]. However [[Birmingham City Council]], [[Birmingham Civic Society]], [[Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment|CABE]] and Argent strongly opposed any plans to retain the library and consequently the battle was lost.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Paradise Circus plan which retains Central Library|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/paradise-circus-plan-retains-birmingham-3912723|work=Birmingham Post|date=2012-05-31|access-date=2014-12-25}}</ref>