The journey down the main staircase is a joy
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for University of Roehampton
Contract value: £24.5m
GIA: 6,708m²
Cost per m²: £3,652
The new library at the University of Roehampton is a successful civic building, part of a wider masterplan to transform the entry to the campus. The entrance takes advantage of the sloping site by creating a loggia to the east with the library café. The journey down the main staircase into the library is a joy.
Cellular spaces to the west shield views of less than beautiful existing buildings while the two atria bring light into the heart of the plan, concentrating the social and architectural experience.
A strong grid runs through the building with acoustics, services, structure and structural columns working effectively with the rhythm of book storage. Seating, vestibules and double height study spaces attract different user groups to the view and light. Externally these spaces aesthetically inform the geometry and depth of the facade.
This library creates many joyful places within a strict and meticulously constructed architecture.
See more winners in the RIBA Regional Awards – London Community