Bishopsgate Institute and Library
Major structural work and subtle interventions to upgrade the existing Grade II* Listed building
The project comprised improved facilities, accessibility, services, and a public café for the Grade II* Institute built in 1894.
Improved accessibility to all floors was provided by a new 13 person passenger lift located in an existing light well. Underpinning to the basement walls allowed for the new lift pit construction. This had to be carefully detailed to minimise the requirement to underpin the party wall.
Major structural interventions were required to improve toilet facilities in the basement and at ground floor level. These included carefully detailed box frames that were able to be installed with significant areas of masonry temporarily supported.
The existing floor in the great Hall had settled differentially due to being partly ground bearing and partly supported over the basement structure. Extensive investigations were carried out to inform repairs and floor capacity. This revealed part of the floor was supported on poorly compacted fill arising from the historic basement construction. Asbestos filled service ducts capped with York Stone were also located. Budget priorities ruled out the possibility of relaying the wood block floor. In these demanding conditions, ACA advised on the design criteria for a full birdcage scaffold required in the Great Hall. This was successfully installed allowing the high-level work to be carried out. Advice was provided on floor loading capacity for future use.
The café was to be accessed directly from the institute and the street and therefore had to be located in the area formerly used as a loading bay. This area had been identified as likely to contain significant archaeological remains. Research of archive plans highlighted that a pre-existing row of Georgian terraced houses had been built above the layers of archaeological interest. Targeted investigative work confirmed the presence of basement party walls. The foundations to the new café were creatively designed to reuse the basement walls of previous terraced houses. This avoided major archaeological investigation and effect on cost and programme.
Other works involved provision for M&E services including large air handling unit on the roof, advice on archive racking options and floor load capacity.
All Rights Reserved | Adrian Cox Associates