Various parts of Emmanuel College Cambridge library building have been stripped-back, reorganised and re-clad to create this recent addition to Cambridge architecture. The core of the structure is the 1970's frame which has been re-clad in East Anglian sweet chestnut strip boards as designed by Kilburn Nightingale Architects.
The building fits into the fabric of the city in its scale, massing and colour scheme blending the natural timber and dull metal flashings with the colours of local stone, brick and lead. Stained glass panels add a touch of exuberance without in any way confronting the surrounding buildings . The strategy is to continue to allow the site to develop incrementally with layers of new building in the same way the city itself has been built over hundreds of years.
