British architecture studios Nex and Donald Insall Associates have renovated the neo-gothic Exeter College Library at the University of Oxford, originally constructed by George Gilbert Scott in 1857.
Addressing a need for additional study spaces and improved accessibility of the Grade II-listed building, the studios implemented a series of contemporary interventions including the addition of new entrances, a staircase and a lift.
Nex and Donald Insall Associates have revamped the Exeter College Library
"The first [challenge] was really to repair it, and reinstate and actually reveal some of the most important elements of the building that had been obscured over a century of incremental change," Nex founding director Alan Dempsey told Dezeen. "The second key thing was to improve accessibility, user comfort and experience."
The Grade II-listed library was originally designed by George Gilbert Scott in 1857
Located beside the Grade I-listed Bodleian Library, the Exeter College Library is arranged in an L shape composed of a two-storey study space and an annexe.
A key measure to improve the library's accessibility was renovating a discreet single-storey structure ? previously used as a storage space ? which was repurposed to create a new entrance and operates as a "hinge" connecting the two library wings.
A new lobby was added to provide access to both wings
Students enter via a rounded wooden door punctured with a crest-shaped opening and framed b...