Hong Kong Central Library
Hong Kong Central Library is the largest library in Hong Kong, flagship library of Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) and used as Hong Kong Public Library headquarters, functioning as the territory's National Library. It is located at the intersection of Moreton Terrace and Causeway Road in Causeway Bay.
| Hong Kong Central Library | |
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Hong Kong Central Library front view | |
| 22°16′47.87″N 114°11′22.30″E. | |
| Location | 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Hong Kong |
| Type | Public library |
| Established | 17 May 2001 |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Books, newspapers, periodicals, maps, music scores, audiovisual materials, electronic resources, microforms, and other print and non-print materials |
| Size | 2,300,000 items |
| Other information | |
| Website | hkcl |
| Hong Kong Central Library | |||||||||||||
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Entrance to the library. A fountain with a spinning-Top can be seen outside it. | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 香港中央圖書館 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 香港中央图书馆 | ||||||||||||
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Facing Victoria Harbour, the 12-storey high building occupies a gross area of 9,400 square metres (101,000 sq ft) with a floor area of 33,800 square metres (364,000 sq ft). The building cost of the Central Library was HK$690 million ($88 million). The Library's collections amount to one fifth of the Hong Kong Public Libraries System; 2.3 million items out of the total 12.1 million items.
The library's 11th floor houses the HKPL head office. The arch-shaped doorway atop the front facade of the Hong Kong Central Library symbolises the Gate to Knowledge, while the triangle, square and circle which make up the arch all carry further meaning. The circle represents the sky, the square the land and the triangle the accretion of knowledge. When it was originally proposed, the design was controversial and received critiques from Urban Council members.
Additionally, the library has an intelligent building design. Power and data line reach every corner of the building, laying the necessary foundation for digital service.