Weston Library by WilkinsonEyre will be presented at the AT Awards live finals on 17 September 2025. Learn more about the project below.

Completed
2015

The Weston Library project involved the extensive refurbishment and transformation of the Grade II listed New Bodleian Library in Oxford, originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Appointed in 2006, WilkinsonEyre was tasked with modernising the building to meet contemporary archival, academic, and public engagement needs while preserving its historic fabric. The intervention aimed to upgrade research and conservation facilities, improve environmental conditions for storing special collections, and enhance the library’s relationship with the surrounding urban context. A key move was the transformation of the Broad Street frontage into a more welcoming, civic-facing colonnade that opens the library to the public realm.

One of the main challenges was adapting a building originally conceived as a closed bookstack to function as a modern public space with state-of-the-art environmental controls. The building’s original central book tower was partially removed and repurposed to accommodate reading rooms and seminar spaces, while subterranean stacks were upgraded to meet archival standards. New mechanical, electrical and plumbing services were integrated without compromising the building’s historic character. The design also had to reconcile heritage constraints with modern performance expectations, ensuring that interventions supported both conservation and wider public access.

The refurbished building now accommodates a wide range of uses, from scholarly research to public exhibitions and civic engagement. The reconfigured layout has allowed library departments to resume traditional roles while incorporating new facilities such as a Digital Media Centre, Visiting Scholars Centre, and lecture theatre. The project carefully restored original materials, such as Taynton stone, while introducing new elements that draw on the building’s classical and early modernist architectural language. Enhanced environmental controls and storage now protect fragile collections, while a reorganised plan and discreet services integration ensure long-term adaptability and operational efficiency.

Since reopening, the Weston Library has become a popular destination for both academic and public visitors, drawing over 800,000 people in its first nine months and regularly ranking among Oxfordshire’s top attractions. New public-facing amenities, such as galleries, a café, and a shop, support its expanded civic role. The building now serves as a model of how historic libraries can be reimagined to combine preservation, accessibility, and public engagement. Nearly two decades on, the project continues to inform best practice in conservation-led retrofit, demonstrating the value of sensitive transformation in maintaining relevance and unlocking the full potential of academic infrastructure.

More images