The University of Bristol has appointed a collaborative team formed by British architecture studio Hawkins\Brown and the Danish practice Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects to design a new £80 million University Library as a landmark project for the university’s revitalization of its Clifton Campus.
The renowned British engineering firm BuroHappold is the third member of the team. The international competition called for architect-led teams to design a contemporary library, while acknowledging the conservation setting and abiding by the university’s high standard of sustainability.
The team will now begin work to develop a detailed design which will involve consultation with future users of the library and the public as well as a broad range of stakeholders in the landmark project.
The new library will help form a gateway to the Clifton Campus, which the university has wider plans to remodel over the next five years to create a welcoming ‘heart’ to the university — for students, staff and members of the public alike.
The winning proposal is for a landmark building that integrates with the local built environment, capitalises on the location and views, and extends the landscaping from Royal Fort Garden throughout the whole precinct. There is an ambition to include exhibition spaces, reading rooms and a café for the public to enjoy.
The new library may also include a cultural collections centre to give access to the university’s world-class collections of historic books, art and theatre artefacts. Work on site is planned to begin over the summer of 2019, with completion estimated to be in 2021. Source and photos Courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.