The Queen’s College
Library and Archive constructed beneath a garden (MICA, 2017)
It is rare to create a building that is all but invisible, but this new library is hidden beneath the Provost’s Garden at The Queen’s College, where only a large but discreet roof light can be seen at the surface. The College has one of the largest collections of rare books in Oxford, and two fine libraries in the historic Upper Library (1692-95) and Lower Library (1843). The new building provides additional reader spaces along with open stacks, reading rooms for special collections and a highly specified archive store.
The project was one of the last to be designed by the late Rick Mather, and has been successfully realised by his successors at MICA Architects, led by Stuart Cade. It is a brilliant concept, beautifully integrated into the College’s older library facilities and their setting.
Awards: RIBA South Region Award 2018; OPT Award 2018
NEW OXFORD ARCHITECTURE 