On behalf of the London Borough of Haringey, the building fabric was retained, restored and reused as much as possible, including original furniture and shelving, minimising the environmental impact of new materials.

Key Points

• External work included a new roof, solar panels and curtain walling

• Full internal fit—out and decoration - modernisation of the space, whilst keeping the architectural character and history of the original library

• Improved thermals to enhance performance and a full M&E services upgrade

• New flooring through the library, cafe and toilets - a mix of vinyl flooring and carpet

• Feature lighting - suspended 1960s style lights in the main library

• Bespoke Children’s Library section, including a feature book archway, with lighting

• Restored courtyard garden

• Ensuring all listed features were kept protected and reinstated to within a mm of the original position

• BREEAM Rating - ‘Very Good’

Key Challenges

• Grade II Listed Building - One of the main challenges was removing, protecting and reinstalling all listed features. For example, a listed 3x3m panel of glass, which was etched with a decorative map by Fred Mitchell of Hornsey School of Art, had to be removed with specialist equipment from an existing wall, protected and then carefully reinstalled.

• Book Relocation - The basement stored 4,100 boxes of books (1m of books per box) all of which needed to be packed, catalogued and moved in order to carry out the necessary pipe and cable work. To save time and money, we suggested installing floor-to-ceiling partition walls to try and protect the books in these areas rather than moving off-site; this created a Value Engineering cost saving for the client of around £34k.