The Campaign for Old Court
“Old Court is one of the country’s great treasures. With that privilege also comes obligation: we are the keepers of these magnificent 300 year old buildings and we must preserve them for generations to come.” Lord Grabiner QC Master of Clare College
Honorary Patrons Sir David Attenborough (1945) and Dr John Rutter (1964) have kindly agreed to be Honorary Patrons of the Old Court fundraising Campaign. As alumni they know and appreciate the unique qualities of the College and the centrality of Old Court to Clare life. Together they embody Clare’s dedication to the arts and the sciences along with a lifetime commitment to education.
Celebrating Seven Centuries Dear alumni and friends, In preparation for Clare College’s septcentennial in 2026, the Governing Body of the College has committed to restoring and renewing Old Court. The purpose is to protect and conserve this vibrant centre of Clare life, ensuring that the seventeenth and eighteenth century Grade I listed buildings are equipped to meet the needs of a twenty-first century education. Updated spaces for dining, living, teaching, performing and socialising are all essential. The renewal and restoration of Old Court will ensure that Clare will remain a strong collegiate community at the heart of Cambridge. Initial work has begun and will take four to five years to complete. Generous commitments have already been made and the College invites more alumni and friends to support this historic project and help Clare celebrate its 700th anniversary.
Our objective is to complete a £25 million fundraising campaign for Old Court by 2021. This will enable the whole building project to be completed before the anniversary in 2026. We invite you to learn more about this historic project and join us in helping to make it a reality.
Tony Grabiner, Master Alan Gillespie (1969) Campaign Co-Chairs
“I will always remember walking to Old Court along the Backs after Finals and realising that I would probably never again live somewhere so beautiful and so intellectually vibrant.” A recent alumna. The Master and Alan Gillespie, Campaign Co-Chairs
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Old Court and Clare College: Quintessential Cambridge
The golden view of Old Court from the south simply is Cambridge to much of the world. It is the image that is used whenever the media portrays the University, and it features in countless films, photographs, paintings and publications. Clare is the oldest surviving foundation to have been placed within the medieval city walls and the buildings of Old Court are among the most iconic in Cambridge. It is the thriving intellectual and social centre of Clare where members of the College come together to study, meet, worship, perform, dine and forge friendships that last a lifetime. Since its completion in 1715, Old Court has nurtured successive generations through ages of industrial progress, social reform, world war and technological transformation. The architects are unknown, but their inspirational pairing of golden sandstone and Collyweston slate gives a unity of vision at the heart of the Cambridge Backs. The College has now reached an inevitable moment in its history. Old Court is in need of fundamental conservation, restoration and renewal. The work required is complex and expensive. It is on a scale required only once in a century. Working in harmony with the existing architecture, the restoration will achieve modern levels of energy efficiency and improve disabled access. In addition, the project will at last equip the College to provide spaces fit for today and generations to come. While doing this critical work, Clare will be able to create new and better spaces for the College community to eat and to learn together, including the creation of a beautiful extension to the Buttery, directly overlooking the river. Old Court is not just a Grade I listed building: it is subject to the highest level of Historic England’s architectural scrutiny and the same oversight as the nation’s Royal palaces. Unlike many national treasures, Old Court receives no state funding. Nevertheless, the conservation work must be completed to the most exacting of standards, and we are required to use the most authentic materials and the most skilled craftsmanship. Maintaining the integrity of Old Court is essential to preserve Lady Clare’s vision and the College’s progressive spirit for future Fellows and students. The project will ensure that the diverse uses of this Grade I listed building are maintained for all members of the College. The success of the project is only assured with the support of all those who cherish Clare.
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Clare College 700: The Campaign for Old Court
“It is difficult to know why Clare should have such a powerful hold on so many of us who at some time belonged to it. I suspect it has something to do with Clare’s sheer beauty – of the Old Court, of the bridge, of this particular stretch of the river and of that incomparable riverside garden. And without any doubt, it is connected with the fact that the majority of us came to Clare at a time in our lives when we were most open to and appreciative of the wonders and excitements of the world.”
“Clare Old Court is one of the great architectural treasures of Cambridge. Constructed over 131 years – including a 27-year break during the Civil War and Interregnum – and designed by many hands, Old Court is exceptional both for its architectural unity and for the richness of the communal rooms within. From Cambridge’s last essay in medieval fan vaulting over the gate hall to the beautiful use of a giant classical order on the west front, there is an astonishing unity and harmony to the whole. The use throughout of Northamptonshire stones and slates, and a reliance on both symmetry and repetition, enable a remarkable fusion of the earlier and later work. All this on an extraordinarily constrained site which makes the most of its riverside setting.”
Sir David Attenborough (1945) Campaign Patron
Peter Carolin Emeritus Professor of Architecture, Corpus Christi
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“I have had the good fortune to enjoy considerable business and financial reward during my 40-year career in the chemical industry. This journey really started with my degree in Natural Sciences and my time at Clare. Therefore, I would like to share some of my rewards with the place where it all began and help support the refurbishment of Old Court. I am especially enthusiastic about the development of the new River Room as a unique location to be enjoyed by future generations of Clare students.� Andrew Currie (1974) Campaign Board Member Partner, Ineos
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Clare College 700: The Campaign for Old Court
Renewal and Restoration In recent years a Working Group of Fellows, staff, students, alumni and leading architects has looked at the current conditions of Old Court. They explored how its facilities could be renewed and expanded to meet the needs of the College both now and in the future. Old Court is a very big building: its kitchen serves upwards of 3,500 meals per week in three distinct dining spaces; it houses three busy common rooms, a magnificent chapel, an outstanding rare book and manuscript library, numerous meeting rooms, offices and accommodation for 43 students and the Master. Whilst the preservation of this large and complex building has always been a foremost goal, every effort has been made to consider how new spaces could be created and old spaces adapted for better use. Early explorations included possible excavations beneath the existing courtyard. Planning and financial considerations narrowed the options and helped the Working Group focus on making creative and efficient use of the existing footprint of the College to maximum benefit. The final plan results in three overarching goals being met:
social and dining spaces will be
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enhanced and include dramatically improved accessibility;
the architectural integrity and beauty
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of Old Court will be maintained; and
energy efficiency measures and
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other improvements will be made that generate a long-term return on investment.
New River Room Café The North Passage between Old Court and Trinity Hall currently houses a warren of inefficient and underutilized spaces. This will be transformed and lead to the new River Room, providing much needed additional dining and social space seating 76 with a terrace on the Cam which will operate throughout the day. Combined with improvements to the existing buttery, casual dining, now so important to the community, will be dramatically improved. In turn this will help ensure that the Clare remains a desirable home for students at the centre of Cambridge.
Historic Preservation From its vast historic slate roof down to recycled foundations dating back to the 14th century, Old Court will be preserved to the highest standards. The roof will be completely stripped and its timbers inspected and repaired. Slates will be reused and matching slates, sourced
in partnership with King’s College, will replace those broken and worn. Tonnes of lead work will be replaced ensuring Old Court rooms remain water-tight. Miles of plumbing and wiring will be brought up-to-date ensuring the safety and utility of Old Court services. Stonework and windows will be inspected and repaired as necessary.
Investment in Facilities that Pays Dividends New boilers, insulated piping and systems that control climate regulation and lighting, will generate long-term returns for the College by reducing energy usage by 20% per year. This will contribute to helping Clare maintain its leadership as a “green college”. Additionally, the 15 new shower rooms will end the charming sight of students in dressing gowns crossing Old Court for morning ablutions and will make the letting of Old Court rooms a much more attractive proposition for the College’s profitable Conferencing programme.
Left: Renderings of the New River Room Above left to right: Cupola above chapel; Fellows in the Fellows’ Library; a chef working in the Clare kitchens
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The Facts Over 2,300 square metres (more than half an acre) of slate roof will be renewed
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WCs will be replaced
23 showers (+15 from current) will be renovated or built
new high efficiency boilers will be installed along with insulated piping, together these improvements will result in more than a 20% efficiency improvement
working hours will be put in by plumbers, carpenters, roofers and electricians on the project over 3+ years
6.2 miles of new wiring
4 new lifts will be installed to improve dramatically accessibility and services in the North Range and make Hall fully accessible for the first time in Old Court’s History
1.4 miles of pipe replacement
Clare College 700: The Campaign for Old Court
11 chimneys will be repointed and repaired, each with up to 9 flues
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240,000
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additional seats will be created for casual dining in the new River Room Café
gyp rooms will be provided or refurbished
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windows will be inspected, repaired and renewed
1,500m2 of lead gutters, valleys and hips to be replaced
31 sets will be renovated including new wiring, fire safety and heating including over 160 new radiators this will include providing central heating to 36 students’ and Fellows’ rooms, which are currently heated by unsuitable portable electrical heaters
£300,000 of fire safety improvements including new detection systems, 40 upgraded historic doors and improved compartmentation
The Costs The renewal and restoration of Old Court will cost £41 million. The designs have been fully costed by Gardiner and Theobald LLP consultants. The project costs break down into the following categories: n
£11 million roof replacement/repair and external walls conservation
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£5.1 million building systems replacement
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£9.1 million North Range & River Room construction
£6.7 million internal refurbishment and alteration n £1.4 million access & logistics n
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£1 million contingency
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£6.7 million VAT (VAT relief is no longer available for historic building renewal and severely limited even for charities)
To prepare for the project and ensure oversight and financial controls, the College has engaged with the following partners. n
Architects (for new construction) Witherford Watson Mann Architects
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Architects (for historic preservation) Freeland Rees Roberts Architects
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Engineers Smith and Wallwork Ltd
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Project management and cost consultant Henry Riley LLP (Phase 1)
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Project Manager: James Godden
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Cost Consultant (QS): James Robinson
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Highlighted section shows the extent of the renovations in the North passage
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Location of the new river room
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Detail of new lift, stairs and accessible walkway to SCR and Fellows Library
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B
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The Financial Need Through careful financial planning the College will fund £16 million of the £41 million required from existing resources £10 million gifts promised and by utilising income from dedicated endowments. For the remaining £25 million Clare is depending on pledges of generous support from alumni and friends prior to 2021 and payable over a period of up to five years. Already alumni and friends have committed over £10 million towards this goal including a £5 million commitment from Andy Currie (1974). These early donations have given the Master and Fellows the confidence to launch this Campaign. The challenge is to raise a further £15 million.
£16 million
from College resources
£41 million
£15 million
gifts needed
How can you help? Making a gift to the campaign for Old Court is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a transformative impact on one of the nation’s most important historic buildings and to celebrate Clare’s 700th anniversary. For over 300 years Old Court has nurtured the brightest young minds, promoted excellence in teaching and championed world class scholarship. Our contribution to Clare will be visible, not just materially, but across all aspects of College life.
Please make a gift to this critical project. Special recognition opportunities are available to contributors who make a leadership gift to the campaign, including on a donor wall leading to the River Room Café. The Development Office is pleased to provide further information. Bill O’Hearn, Fellow and Development Director wjo24@cam.ac.uk +44(0)1223 333232
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Clare College 700: The Campaign for Old Court
Clare College 700: The Campaign for Old Court Campaign Board Honorary Patrons Sir David Attenborough (1945) Dr John Rutter (1964)
Co-Chairs Tony Grabiner, Master Alan Gillespie (1969)
Board Members Adrian Buckmaster (1967) Dave Coulson (1990) Andy Currie (1974) Justin Fenwick (1968) Neil Garrard (1958) Anne Glover (1973) Clare Gough (1982) Paul Greatbatch (1977) Charlotte Kingston (2005) Jonathan Langridge (2005) Nick MacNay (1978) Shanin Specter (1983) Clare Spottiswoode (1972) Ben Wrey (1960)
Clare College is the result of a remarkable 14th century vision that endures today. Elizabeth de Burgh, Lady Clare, rescued the 1326 foundation and established the first academic community in which students and Fellows would work together. It is a scholarly ideal that provided the model for all other Cambridge and Oxford colleges. Almost 700 years later, Lady Clare’s progressive spirit, and vision of furthering the public good, continues to flourish. Clare (along with King’s) was the first of the ancient colleges to admit both women and men as students. It led the way in access and outreach to schools. It promotes excellence in teaching and research. It fosters inclusivity and provides the means to enable the brightest minds to come to Cambridge, regardless of their school or background. This is the living legacy we now hold for future generations.
CLARE COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Clare College, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TL www.clarealumni.com Registered Charity Number: 1137531 Photography: Ihsan Aslam, Chris Boland, Clement Hodgkinson and Danielle Melling