The past welcomes the present; creating a 21st-century research library
Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1930s, the Grade II-listed Bodleian Libraries got a radical makeover during Oxford University’s three year refurbishment project.
Bodleian Libraries Project summary
Client
Estates Services, University of Oxford
Key partners
Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Services provided
Sectors
Arts, Education, Life sciences and pharmaceuticals
Locations
UK and Europe, UK - London and south-east England
Project timeline
- Start date
- June 2011
- End date
- March 2015
Project story
The Weston Library, part of the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries, opened to the public in 2015 and is now a 21st-century research library with scholarship, research, digitisation and conservation taking place under one roof.
We successfully delivered the £60m renovation without compromising the historic character of the building, demolishing and reconstructing the 11 storey core while keeping the listed facade intact.
Key to our project's success was the safeguarding of the collections by creating a temperature and humidity controlled environment. This technically complex project was delivered on a constrained site, with environmental controls and protection of the structure paramount.
The library has proved hugely popular with everyone from students, to local residents and tourists alike.
Project stats
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“We’re very proud of the work we carried out to transform the Weston Library, and it’s a tribute to the team that this work was been recognised by HRH the Duke of Cambridge during his visit.”
“Your dedication, skill, energy and team work has enabled us to meet our deadlines, and to design and deliver a library that reflects the best of the Bodleian’s past and the promise of a future that will be equally rich and distinguished.”
