The new club the Library opens to mixed reviews

KU students have given mixed reviews to new Kingston club The Library after its grande opening Friday night.

The club, which replaced Ama-gi, has undergone an over £100,000 re-branding that some described as well-done, while others said could have been more student-orientated.

First-year graphic design student Jude Gardaner-Rolfe, 20, said: “I was attracted to all the graphics.  The re-branding was on point.  Inside, it’s beautiful, down-to-earth, but it’s not a place for students.”

The club’s 10pm Friday opening saw a wide age-range and clubbers were treated to a live saxophone player along with a DJ.  There was also a live singer in the opening hour of the night, something that Ama-gi had rarely featured.

The Library spokesman Olly Turnbull said the club was 80 per cent finished and that other decor still needed to be added within the next two to three weeks.  He said that the management had attempted to give Kingston clubbers a different kind of nightlife experience.

“There’s nothing that has been saved from Ama-gi and it will keep evolving as well,” Mr Turnbull said.  “We started today and we may never finish.

“We don’t have any other competition in Kingston.  No one is in our bracket.  We want to be known for classy entertainment.”

Mr Turnbull also said that he could promise students “a different entertainment experience every time they come.”

The refurbishment, which included new wall decor with books painted over them, new furniture and a colourful new paint job on the club’s exterior, was also praised by other students who had previously been to Ama-gi.

Second-year psychology student Robyn Blatchford, 20, said she had loved Ama-gi and would likely keep coming to The Library.

“The decor is different but the climate is exactly the same,” she said.  “It’s got a small-club vibe without the dirtiness.”

Simon Kneller, first-year illustration student, agreed that the club looked good but added that cheaper drink deals, more live music and different themed nights would help the club to reach out to students.

“I like it, but I can see how other student’s wouldn’t like it,” Kneller, 20, said. “The main thing you like about this place is that you feel safe.  It feels a lot more intimate.”