From the road, the new library barely registers as a building at all, just a grassy slope with people sitting on it and reading in the last of the sun.
Standing in front of it
Reproductions do this work no favours. In a photograph the surface looks merely textured. Standing in front of it, you begin to notice how long it took: the thousands of small decisions, the corrections left visible, the places where the artist clearly stopped and went for a walk.
The best compliment is that children use the roof as a slide.
The hand behind the work
Regional galleries are enjoying a remarkable moment. Freed from the pressure of blockbuster loans, curators are digging through their own stores and finding work that has not been seen in decades. Visitors seem delighted, and admissions have risen steadily for three years running.
Before you go
Design at its best is a form of hospitality. A good chair anticipates your back; a good staircase knows you are carrying something. This show understands that, and it fills its rooms with objects you are, unusually, encouraged to touch, sit on and lift.
Allow more time than you think. The final room is the quietest and the best, and it rewards anyone who arrives there unhurried. Weekday mornings are calm, and the café, which is run by a local bakery, deserves its own small review.
