Lawrence Library

This project involving the renovation and extension of the library building focused primarily on increasing energy efficiency, improving thermal performance, enhancing the level of natural light and ensuring strategic solar screening. The high-performance terracotta shield, which is the primary exterior material, is the ideal solution here: it protects the books in the interior; helps to transfer heat from the exterior to the interior; and allows natural daylight to penetrate the reading areas through long, slim openings. Smooth and profiled panels, mounted in a random arrangement, create intensity and a degree of tension over the large surface, with the red colouring recalling the historic brickwork architecture of the city centre.