1850s library building is brought into the 21st century

Longwall Library at Magdalen College University of Oxford, a Grade II* listed building, has been updated to better suit the building to the needs of modern day students. The project involved renovating the existing building and creating a new extension and landscaping plan.

The historic building, which was constructed in 1851 and converted into a library in 1930, had a leaky roof, a floor plate that cut across windows blocking light and ventilation, limited accessibility, and poor insulation. As a result, it was no longer considered fit for purpose.

A study area in the Magdalen College library Photo: © Dennis Gilbert.

Wright & Wright Architects was in charge of the improvement project and created a scheme that took the form of a giant inhabited bookcase and inserted it within the shell of the original 1851 building. A plinth-like extension was also created that extends into the campus’s quad. The Victorian architecture of the building was restored, which included the roof being re-laid with tiles in local Cotswold Stone placed over new insulation. The updated building is passively controlled and achieved an air tightness of 3.7m3/h.m2.

The insertion and new extension create accommodation for 120 readers, group working areas, seminar spaces, staff facilities, and storage for 3,200 linear meters of shelving, half of which is high density mobile storage racks.

View of Magdalen College Quad, showing the Main Library and new extension, as well as the new landscaping plan Photo: © Dennis Gilbert.

The landscaping work includes lush planting and stone seating to create an outdoor common area in a formerly neglected corner of the campus.

Additional improvements:

Restored the windows to their full height
Introduced air through low-level windows
Opened up the original eaves ventilation, chimneys, and spiral staircase to use every cavity
Added opening roof lights concealed behind the parapet
Added insulation to the roof and beneath the floor
Introduced secondary glazing carefully composed behind the existing glazing
Integrated small, low-energy heaters at readers’ feet
Incorporated LED lights and user-controlled PIR to improve efficiency

A study space opened up to the outside quad Photo: © Dennis Gilbert.

The renovation and new extension from the exterior Photo: © Dennis Gilbert.

In September 2021, Penn reopened its renovated and expanded library as an open center for cross-disciplinary learning, prototyping, and collaboration. Now called Biotech Commons, the 17,000-sf building supports new modes of research by offering a range of spaces and services that is free to be scheduled by any student or faculty member.

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