Mace Group

Information

It may be less well known than its national competitor up in St Pancras, but The London Library is the largest independent subscription library in the world and holds over one million books in its compact location in London's St. James' district.

The job is complex and multi-phase, expanding the library into a former office building next door, joining the buildings on five levels and adjusting the existing 1890s and 1930s buildings to provide new reading and book stack areas. The project has also faced some of the hurdles typical for smaller charity-status institutions: limited budget raised from benefactors and donations, a constrained city-central site and Grade II listed status to protect. But the library also had some atypical features to contend with including conceptual toilet design from the Turner prize-winning artist Martin Creed, which required the delicate use of tiles from all over the world.

As ever, the value Mace brought to the project lies partly in the ability to plan, and to plan well. When every penny to be spent has been raised from charitable donations, hitting the budget is more than simply important, it affects the long term viability of the entire institution. Life has to go on around a construction site and given the London Library's location, the confined site amid the residential bustle of the city centre, some thoughtful public outreach was written into the plan from the outset.

Mace is currently on site delivering the second phase of the construction works in the heart of the operational areas. This phase will provide the new art room, a new lightwell reading room, a three storey extension to the bookstacks, lifts, staircase and new connections between the completed phase one areas and the existing library, as well as remodelling the main entrance hall.

This current phase will provide very visible enhancements to members' facilities and prepare the library for the challenges of tomorrow.

News:

The London Library's looking good (Evening Standard, June 2010)
The London Library - Speaking Volumes (Building magazine, March 2010 - registration required)

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Links

Client: The London Library
http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/

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