Crawshaw Architects has inserted a beautiful new library into an old cattle shed, winning it South West & Wessex Regional Small Project of the Year
South West & Wessex RIBA Regional Award 2022
Crawshaw Architects for private client
Contract value: Confidential
GIA: 117.50 m²
The new library is a delicate jewel of a project, beautifully and inventively inserted into an old cattle shed. A series of curved oak frames run the length of the library, creating calm and order while providing a beautiful and simple celebration of the books within. The frames subtly reference the cattle stalls and further meaning, and allegory is imbued through the skins of the building.
In plan, the barn is ordered by a central high nave and pair of aisles in the form of a classical library. Three rooflights interrupt the barrel vault, while the oak frames provide a flexible framework for tables and benches to perch. This project clearly benefitted from a long-term architect/ client relationship. The result is a pared-back project full of delight, detail and intelligent resolution.
South West & Wessex RIBA Regional Award 2022
South West & Wessex Regional Small Project of the Year 2022 sponsored by Gaggenau
See the rest of the South West and Wessex winners here
And all the RIBA Regional Awards here