The Stony Stratford Library, a Grade II listed Victorian building, had fallen into disrepair over decades of neglect. Our brief was to restore the building to its former glory while sensitively introducing contemporary interventions that would ensure its relevance for generations to come.

Conservation Approach

Working closely with conservation specialists, we carefully peeled back layers of unsympathetic alterations to reveal the original architectural character — ornate plasterwork, cast-iron columns, and a magnificent barrel-vaulted reading room. Where original fabric was beyond repair, we introduced contemporary elements that are clearly of their time yet respectful of their context.

New Interventions

A discreet glass extension to the rear houses a new community space and digital learning centre, connected to the original building by a slender glazed link. The extension's restrained materiality — pale brick and bronze-anodised aluminium — creates a quiet conversation between old and new.