Issue 45 Feb 25 web - Flipbook - Page 99
building’s age and characterful patina. It was an iterative
process where architectural elements and features were
assessed on a case-by-case basis, with the external repairs
focussed on the upper levels of the buildings (due to the
accessibility constraints and challenges of the site) and
areas of most damaged and unstable fabric. Several trials
for stonework and joinery cleaning and repairs set clear
benchmarks for achieving these conservation objectives.
We drew together several strands of analysis to gain a
holistic understanding of the building. Archival research
uncovered what historical documents and established
literature could tell us about the building’s development,
associated events and people. This revealed ties with
many individuals, including William Morris and Edward
Burne-Jones, whose beautiful stained glass roundels can
be seen in some of the ground floor windows, and JRR
Tolkien who read a book on Finnish grammar in the
Library which is said to have helped inspire the Middleearth of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Approach to Intervention: Juxtaposing old and new
A series of new fixtures and fittings show the careful
balance of old and new, and an emphasis on craftsmanship that continues the architectural tradition of
Scott and his peers. The extensive use of oak joinery is
evocative of traditional library spaces, yet with a distinctly
contemporary character; for instance, in the main range
where cluttering bookshelves were replaced with new
desks and under-desk book storage. The joinery also fully
integrates all new services such as heating, lighting,
storage and acoustic insulation, and a pair of secret doors
into two compact behind-the-scenes spaces. A new
timber box on the first floor is a ‘pop up’ fire compartment
that can protect people in the event of an emergency.
Visual inspections allowed us to understand the condition
of the building. Internally, cast iron heating pipes installed
in the early 20th century, hidden within the plinths of
Scott’s bespoke bookcases, had structurally undermined
the solidity of most of them which caused them to lean
sideways and become unstable. Externally, the soft Bath
stone had deteriorated, resulting in many decorative
elements losing their definition; the roofs and windows
were in poor condition.
Our visual surveys coupled with more forensic fabric
analysis (such as paint analysis carried out by Hirst
Conservation) allowed us to understand the varied
aesthetic value found within the building - the provenance and phasing of its different components, its original
decorative and circulation arrangements, as well as its relationship with its surroundings. The Library sits adjacent
to some of Oxford’s most iconic buildings such as
the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera, which
together form one of the most architecturally significant
areas of townscape in the nation.
The Library’s restored windows retain Burne-Jones and
Morris’ stained-glass roundels and their pioneering glass
craftsmanship finds new echoes: for instance, in new light
fittings that use different types of glass to create different
atmospheric effects, and in specially commissioned
dichroic glass fins placed in the rooflight of the new
circulation spaces.
The key to unlocking the tight spaces of the existing
building and improving accessibility is a discreet singlestorey structure, tucked between the Library and the party
wall of Convocation House. Easily overlooked, the ‘Link
block’ had been much-altered over the past two centuries,
Our rationale for intervention revolved around the
requirements of the client and design team to undertake
essential repairs whilst maintaining the legibility of the
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