A college library reimagined for the whole of Hertford’s community.
It’s been an exciting and eventful time at Hertford College as our library renovation project moves forward. Our library is the centre of our academic community, and the older building no longer adequately served our students, nor properly protected our books and archives. All of that is changing, right now.
This build has our values at its heart: access, academic excellence, and sustainability. Like Hertford, it will be open and welcoming, a place of opportunity. And in the Hertford spirit, it is a unifying, collaborative project for the whole college and wider community.
Our world-class library will have more and better study spaces and upgrade our archival facilities. Its design will significantly reduce our energy consumption, increase biodiversity, provide access for those with limited mobility and open much-needed event space.
Enabling is the key word for this project – enabling growth of Hertford’s programmes across access, outreach, wellbeing and sustainability.
Watch Senior Project Manager Peter Beilby talking about the project here.
A message from our Interim Principal:
Hertford is in the midst of its largest transformation in the past century.
Right now, the south-west corner of the Old Buildings quadrangle is home to numerous machines, digging, piling and cementing the foundations of this astonishing development.
Working within the constraints of our historic buildings and a limited footprint, we are building new, more and better study spaces and completely renovating the library infrastructure and furnishings, bringing the experience of our students and the environment for our archives and rare books up to modern standards.
A lift will provide access to all floors and to the dining hall, greatly improving access for those with reduced mobility, whilst a roof terrace will allow us to look beyond the college walls and across Radcliffe Square.
Progress is continuing, and we hope that the quad will be returned to its former, but greatly enhanced, glory in the early part of 2027.
This time-lapse video bears witness to the transformation of our quiet oasis to a complex building site over the second half of 2024. You can find out more details of the library developments here and help ensure that Hertford college continues to thrive, by supporting the library project here.
Oxford Archaeology will complete their excavation in the quad to formation level today. The remaining archaeological features that are left in situ, such as the well, will be protected before the new basement slab is constructed over the top of them. Next week, the remaining spoil will be removed to the basement slab formation level.
Bracing is being installed to the southern arrangement of bearing piles in the former chapel. This has allowed Oxford Archaeology, in conjunction with Goldmax, to commence the underpinning excavations to the eastern wall. Two pins have been poured, and these will be dry packed shortly before further pins are excavated and cast next week.
In the ‘extension’ area, Goldmax have cleared the remaining piling mat down to the level of the existing basement slab and have commenced removing this slab in conjunction with Oxford Archaeology.
Within the West Range, multiple activities continue. Bojen, electrical contractors, have completed their first fix installation. Lawton’s (heating engineers) have progressed radiator and heating installations.
Following the replacement of the lintels, the carpenters have repaired the additional rotten timbers and are now re-instating the laths on the external walls in advance of the lime plaster works. This plastering is continuing in other areas as well. Berkeley Interiors are continuing to board up the walls and install new ceilings with the gypsum plasterers skimming these areas as they become available.
‘The library is the centre of Hertford’s academic community. Working in the library gave me a real sense of companionship and community – I knew that people were watching out for me, and the whispered library chats helped to break up the day. In the lead up to finals, I claimed one of the good seats by the window and camped out there for about eight weeks. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to pay that back by naming a seat in the new library.
Whether you were a regular library user, like me, or only an occasional visitor, I’m sure you’ll remember that the current building leaves something to be desired. The college have ambitious plans to create an exceptional space for students and provide the world-class facilities they deserve.’
Rachel Hunter (Law, 2012)