Bisset Adams works on £1.5m Northolt Library project

Architect and design consultancy Bisset Adams is undertaking a £1.5m radical redesign of Northolt Library in west London, due to complete in August.

Ealing Council appointed Bisset Adams in February 2008 through project manager Babcock SGI. The group was appointed on the strength of its previous work with Babcock, on Ealing’s Central and Northfields libraries, completed in 2008 and 2007 respectively.

The ‘aspirational’ brief, as Bisset Adams head of interiors Adam Strudwick describes it, involves extending the library by 175m2. This will create space for a café, a crèche, a new community centre and areas for local councillors to conduct surgeries.

‘Branch libraries like Northolt are having to evolve into civic buildings to try to get the public to re-engage with them,’ says Bisset Adams director Mark Johnson.

The library will be divided into zones for different age-groups, including a children’s area at the back, a youth zone at the front and quiet lounges for older people to sit and read in.

Bisset Adams is also creating graphics giving information on various Green technologies that it has installed in the building.

A sensory garden is being created at the back of the library for reading and providing tips for vegetable growers.