Cheek by jowl with the Norman Abbey Gatehouse is one of the masterpieces of the early Modern Movement. Designed by Charles Holden in 1906, the Municipal Library beautifully echoes and compliments the gatehouse and yet makes its own statement. While the Victorians admired the closest possible imitation of past styles, Holden made a dramatic leap here towards a new aesthetic that could still live comfortably with our architectural heritage.