I read this today: Pork Pie Library may be closing and was momentarily confused. Then I realised they meant the library down the road, not a library for pork pies.

It's a weird building. Two libraries in Leicester were built in the late 30s by the same team (Symington, Prince & Pike), and they look very similar. They were built in the 'Moderne' style. Quite why the Southfields one ended up being called 'Pork Pie' and the other didn't, when they both look like that, I have no idea. :)

Whilst the Pork Pie Library (or Southfields Library, as it is otherwise known), is not a listed building, the other one - St Barnabas Library, is Grade II listed. I expect the reason that one is listed and the other isn't is the interior. St Barnabas's is currently featured in an exhibition called Semper Eadem - Leicester's motto ('Always the Same'). This features various places that have remained the same for at least 25 years. The library still has its original curved bookshelves and other fittings. It must have cost a lot of money to build two libraries that needed custom built curved shelving!

I think one of the most interesting ex-buildings in Leicester, in my opinion, is Lewis's Department Store. All that remains today is the viewing tower, stuck on the end of Gap on Humberstone Gate. (It was rebuilt in the 1990s.) What made it particularly amazing is the interior - like the restaurant. Shiny!

And while I'm talking about 1930s buildings, the Kingstone Store has to be one of the least likely looking listed buildings in the city. It's the glass construction that makes it so special.

posted by Fiery Fred @ 7:09 PM