The facility required high performance security and access control to help improve day-to-day operations

Manchester Central Library has been supplied with innovative Aperio® wireless locking technology from ASSA ABLOY, Access Control, a division of ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening solutions. 

The Manchester City Council (MCC) building is the biggest public lending library in Britain after Birmingham’s; it celebrated its 80th birthday this year, but appears much older due to its rotunda structure, derived from Pantheon Rome. The Grade II listed library recently reopened after a £50 million makeover, which saw the introduction of a gaming area, a children’s library modelled on The Secret Garden and a 300-seater reading room.

The facility required high performance security and access control, to help improve day-to-day operations and expand public access to the building while maintaining appropriate restrictions to sensitive areas with historical documents.

Following a tender process, Grantfen Fire and Security were selected to provide a Genetec Security Centre unified platform, which is integrated with ASSA ABLOY, Access Control’s innovative Aperio® solution.

Sue McIntyre, General Manager at Grantfen, said: “An extra 40% of Manchester Central Library is now accessible to the public, since the renovation. Despite this extra footfall, the new security system has made the building feel more secure and the management team confident in the knowledge that Manchester City Council staff, visitors and important archive documentation are all being effectively protected, while visitors can navigate around the library with ease.

“ASSA ABLOY, Access Control’s Aperio® L100 locks proved to be the most cost effective and easy to install security solution for the library’s study carousels and meetings rooms, offering a straightforward alternative to a wired high-end solution, without any need to modify the doors; a particularly useful feature for the heritage doors in the library.” 

Simon Barnes, the business development manager for Genetec UK & Ireland said: “Genetec enjoys a great working relationship with ASSA ABLOY, Access Control and we are proud to offer Aperio® as part of our Synergis® Access Control solution, unified with CCTV, Intruder Detection and many other components under the Genetec Security Center platform. This enables the library’s staff to manage and monitor access authorisations online and in real time.”

Damian Marsh, Managing Director of ASSA ABLOY, Access Control, concluded: “Supplying a security system for a building with such historical significance to Manchester, is a testament to the powerful offering in Aperio® wireless locking technology. By enabling wireless access control technology and instantly solving key management issues through working closely with our trusted partners Grantfen and Genetec, we succeeded in minimizing installation costs – crucial for a public sector funded project where budgets are tight.”