Issue 46 April 25 web - Flipbook - Page 97
panels designed for off-site digital manufacturing. This
dramatically reduced both embodied carbon and site disruption, allowing all elements to be brought in through a
single narrow garden gate—a construction method akin
to building a ship in a bottle.
Clever structural reinforcement of the first-floor reading
room with a plywood stressed-skin, allowed us to remove
the visually intrusive steel beams while minimally affecting
floor levels, to once again reveal Scott’s original timber
ceilings.
In the annexe, the removal of the intrusive 1957
mezzanine allowed us to insert a finely detailed, 14-metre
long cantilevered timber balcony, restoring Scott’s original
room proportions. This daring intervention significantly
increased reader spaces and revealed the room’s
previously obscured full-height west windows. Overhead,
new clerestory windows mirrored the balcony’s run,
introducing natural light into previously dim spaces.
With expanded reader spaces we set out to create a
comfortable atmosphere conducive to learning. Working
closely with Laurence Owen, we designed a finely tuned
environmental services strategy, including underfloor
heating compatible with future ground-source heat
pumps and installing automated actuators on windows
for natural ventilation. New LED lighting design by DHA
Designs featured prismatic glass pendants, while Nex bespoke-designed elegant tubular fittings to illuminate the
desks and bookshelves.
We introduced crafted contemporary joinery in rift-cut
oak, integrating discreet, modern services such as heating,
lighting, and acoustic insulation. Bespoke desks featuring
integrated storage and cylindrical lighting provide flexible,
inspiring study environments. Automated blinds were
carefully concealed to reduce solar glare.
Restoration Versus Preservation
To sensitively repair the library’s original fabric, we
collaborated closely with specialist conservation architects
Donald Insall Associates. Without original plans, detailed
research including archival studies, drone surveys, and
site inspections guided our conservation decisions. Insall’s
specialist expertise significantly contributed to the careful
repair of stonework, original bookshelves, windows, and
roofs.
Our design incorporated moments of delight and surprise,
such as two pivoting bookcases in the annexe that open
to reveal a hidden staff workspace and book stores,
cleverly utilising a narrow void between the library and
the Bodleian walls. In the main range, we introduced a
discreet “pop-up” fire compartment, doubling as a timber
bookshelf, which provides safe egress without disrupting
the historic interior and views of the vaulted ceiling.
For us, the opportunity to restore and sensitively
reimagine this Scott building held particular intrigue,
given Scott's reputation as a controversial adapter of historic structures. He faced criticism from conservationists
such as William Morris, whose objections in the ‘Scrape
Removing the non-original bookshelves in the main
range, we introduced under-desk book storage solutions.
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