Caruso St John beat Hopkins and AOC
Caruso St John has won the competition to design a new building to sit alongside the grade I-listed Gladstone鈥檚 Library in north Wales.
The practice beat Hopkins, AOC and Simpson & Brown to win the RIBA competition.
The competition sought to find an architect to design a new building to expand the work of the UK鈥檚 only prime ministerial library, as well as re-developing the original 19th-century residential library.
The management of the library described the winning design as 鈥渄eceptively simple and effective鈥�. It managed to combine openness and seriousness.
It uses local and recyclable materials and will have a low environmental impact.
Charlie Gladstone, president of Gladstone鈥檚 Library, said they had always wanted to work with a 鈥渞eally good architect鈥�.
He added: 鈥淥ur aim was to further enhance the library by creating a building of true beauty and national importance. And so we鈥檙e thrilled to be working with a globally recognised firm with a phenomenal track record. Gladstone鈥檚 Library is widely regarded as one of the world鈥檚 most important centres of liberal thought and our extension will help to further our reputation and reach.鈥�
Michael White, chair of the trustees, said Caruso St John鈥檚 words revealed an understanding of the precious quality of the library and its 鈥渦nique offering of books, beds and conversation鈥�.
He added: 鈥淢odesty and appropriateness are important terms in their lexicon, as they are keen to produce a 鈥榥ew hall鈥� which achieves a strong presence without challenging or overwhelming our original gothic building.
鈥淲ith its massive walls and long low profile, the new building has something of the monastic about it, referencing a long tradition of hospitality and reflection which we maintain at the library. In the new hall we can offer readers and visitors charming spaces in which to enjoy lively exhibitions, good food and engaging courses and lectures.鈥�
Peter Caruso said his practice鈥檚 design for a New Hall would have a strong character of its own while respecting its context.
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