Archives and Study Spaces
MICA Architects is an award winning RIBA Chartered practice. We work at all scales and levels, from a regional urban and landscape level to individual buildings, interiors and furniture. Our approach is analytical and perceptive, with an emphasis on engaging with and solving problems within specific contexts. This document provides a summary of our work and collaboration in developing and creating the most inspiring and uplifting environments for archives, libraries and study centres to support best learning.
East Ham Community Library and Archive
Ham Community Library and Archive
We deliver buildings with high levels of technical and commercial performance, underpinned by a design philosophy that balances spatial quality with economic viability. In archives, libraries, and study centres—where the needs of preservation, education, and collaboration converge—this balance is especially critical.
Our design approach considers the following:
– Flexible spaces adaptable to evolving operational needs
– Welcoming public reception and intuitive front-of-house areas
– A variety of meeting rooms and breakout spaces to support different modes of work and study
– Design strategies that accommodate mixed-use occupancy
– Maximising site potential through efficient spatial planning
– High-performing building services that create comfortable, healthy, and sustainable environments
– Compliance with and interpretation of BCO standards to ensure long-term value and functionality
The Queen’s College Archive
The Queen’s College Library, Oxford
Leaders in designing uplifting educational spaces often in the most challenging and sensitive contexts MICA is an internationally recognised design practice based in London and Edinburgh. We work at all scales and levels, from a regional urban and landscape level to individual buildings, interiors and furniture. We have delivered a range of educational projects from comprehensive campus masterplans, schools and university buildings, libraries, archives, auditoria, and student accommodation. We understand the needs and dynamics of learning environments and always work to maximise the design and development of these types of buildings for both the client and the end user.
We have completed a new multi-award winning and popular library for Queen’s and designs for Hertford and Jesus Colleges libraries. Our team completed all phases of the Ashmolean Museum redevelopment, work at Keble, Mansfield and Corpus Christi and will shortly handover the Cheng Yu Tung for Jesus College – Oxford’s first large-scale all-electric building.
The following brochure provides details on our key library experience:
- The Queen’s College Library, Oxford
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, London
- Cheng Yu Tung Building, Jesus College Oxford
- Lindley Library, Royal Horticultural Society, London
- Hertford College Library, Oxford
- Bodley Library Christ’s College Cambridge
- Jesus College, Masterplan
The Queen’s College Library and Archive
“Extending and modernising the library has affirmed its rightful place as the academic hub of the College that will promote and enable excellence at Queen’s for generations to come.”
- Professor Paul A Madden, Provost
Optimum Library Use
A large, but hidden development behind Oxford’s High Street, which provides a high-quality education space to improve access to one of the world’s best Libraries. The scheme maximises a precious site extending an important, but landlocked and seemingly un-extendable, 17C Library in the historic heart of the College.
Improved coherence and inclusivity
The New Library for Queen’s College provides an additional 650m², yet is almost invisible below the library terrace. Partially sunk into the Provost’s garden, the Library can be accessed directly from the existing Lower Library, allowing the three levels of the Library to be directly linked, improving access and use. The building takes advantage of its subterranean location, employing passive sustainable energy strategies, and introduces natural light for readers with rooflight, which provides spectacular views of the west façade of the existing library - a view previously only glimpsed over garden walls.
Sustainable future for the College
The Queen’s College now comfortably accommodates the extensive collection and readers, whilst allowing for the growing need for study spaces, offices and environmentally controlled, secure. The library is designed with future adaptation in mind to allow shifts in potential future needs. Through adaptation and extension, the Library is now fit for the 21st century and provides space for its growth for future generations.
Working with Listed Buildings
Our team authored a conservation and heritage report and led the production of information for the planning and listed building application. Rigorous analysis of the building aided onsite assessments and coordination to inform our detail interventions, and reordering of space.
How MICA arrived at the design
We reviewed the brief and potential development options, together with a desire to keep the existing Library at the heart of the College but to enrich it with a new modern, flexible and light filled space that accommodates new reader spaces and the historic collection. This led to a refurbishment of the existing listed building and a carefully configured new building contiguous with the existing.
The Queen’s College Library
Client: The Queens College, Oxford
Project Value: £10m
Size: 1650 sqm
Completion Date: 2017
Awards: RIBA South Award 2018
– RIBA South Conservation Award 2018
– Oxford Preservation Trust Awards 2018
Key components
– Constrained site in central Oxford
– Engagement with community, funders, City Council, Historic England
– Flexible arrangement within historic footprint
– Improved access and new entrance
– Rare book study spaces
– Improved access
– Retained landscaped quad
– Sustainable future for the College
– 500 year design life
Subterranean library in a historic setting with landscape garden
Early concept sketch of the proposed library
Restored Grade I Listed Upper Library
Model of the library made in house
Restored Lower Library
Site inspection shot of the library under construction
Link from the existing to the new
Sketch section illustrating existing library spaces to the extension of study spaces and archive
Researching the historic significance of Lower Library
Study space with roof light providing views to the historic facade
The Queen’s College Library
“Their ingenious design has given us more space, and a beautiful space for our students to study in. MICA are a delight to work with.”
- Dr Rebecca Beasley, Fellow Librarian The Queen's College
The Queen’s College Library
The Library Extension for The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn forms a discrete part of a larger MICA project for the Inn that included new education facilities, an archive library and study spaces. The extension reads as a stand alone building but is contiguous to the main Grade II* listed Library and contributes positively to a highly sensitive conservation area.
Improved coherence and inclusivity
The carefully considered and sensitive design proposals provide much needed new space for the Library, the oldest in London. The new extension provides additional shelf space for 37 years of growth, an archive, a reading room, and administrative support spaces allowing an extensive and much-needed de-cluttering of the existing Library. Crucially the new Library building provides step-free access, increasing access to the collection from 30% to 80%.
The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Library Extension
“MICA have worked very hard to provide a fully designed suite of buildings for The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. These have been sympathetically designed to sit in a Conservation Area surrounded almost exclusively by historic listed buildings. At the end of a very technically challenging construction phase they have provided excellent service throughout.”
- Philip Ardley, Estates
Light filled singular study academic space within the new library extension
The existing library connects to the new extension via the original stone spiral staircase
The new Library Extension viewed from North Gardens with bike storage
East terrace subterranean extension provide work space and academic facilities for barristers
Cheng Yu Tung Building Jesus College Oxford
The Cheng Yu Tung Building for Jesus College is a prominent and unique mixed-use building in central Oxford, which brings together teaching, retail, research, NHS healthcare and student living within a 21st century third quad for the Elizabethan college.
The scheme is a major addition and new active building in Oxford’s evolving city centre providing high quality new retail space, combined with new teaching and social facilities for the student community, turning a previous unsightly ‘back’, to a positive ‘front’. At its centre a tiered forum provides a gathering space for the College as well as a new facility for interdisciplinary digital research and immersive display & visualisation. Above a new generous entrance a gatehouse is topped by a new tower room gallery with striking views, at close quarters, across the Dreaming Spires of Oxford and a new Landscaped Market Street.
Working hard
The scheme is central Oxfords first new all electric building complimented by on site energy generation with a (concealed)
Photovoltaic array and a Ground Source Heat Pump generating 40% of the buildings needs, both successfully navigating Oxfords onerous skyline and archaeological rules. Harnessing embodied carbon the scheme reuses an existing concrete structure, with the majority of new structure being carbon-negative cross laminated timber.
Collaborative design
All college members, staff, fellows, students, Oxford City Council, Historic England and the wider community were consulted during all design stages and through 80+ design workshops co-developed the brief and emerging designs. MICA presented the scheme at every design stage to the wider college and invited to workshops and drop-in sessions. The brief met and largely exceeded all brief requirements supporting the Colleges long term vision.
Cheng Yu Tung Building Jesus College Oxford
Client: Jesus College Oxford
Project Value: £35m
Completion Date: 2023
Awards: OPT Awards – Winner, Civic Trust Awards Winner 2023, FX award Winner 2023
Key components
– New build extension to existing College
– Extension to Library
– Flexible study spaces
– Student accommodation, Retail and other ancillary spaces
– Opening of college to city
– Improvement to accessibility
The multi-storey space is connected by a sweeping, generous stair which becomes a forum for up to 500 people to join large events, with integrated digital displays and connectivity for mass interactive events.
Below left - concept sketch of the central hub space
Delivering open and innovative education spaces - learning spaces range from lone study, to group work and teaching spaces
Cheng Yu Tung Building Jesus College Oxford
The Lindley Library is one of the most important botanical reference libraries in the world and consists of over 50,000 volumes covering a wide range of subjects, including garden history, botany, flower arrangement, and botanical art. It is used by scholars from all over the world. It is also much used as a resource by the RHS’s own garden writers, authors and members of the general public to whom it is open free.
The RHS thought there was no room to house the Lindley Library in their existing building and it would have to be moved out of London to the RHS gardens at Wisley in Surrey. The new masterplan demonstrated that by excavating the basement to a useable depth, extending out into the front area, re-planning and some rebuilding it was possible to house the Library and other pressing needs in their existing headquarters.
Client: Royal Horticultural Society
Project Value: £7m
Size: 4250 sqm
Completion Date: 2001
Key components
– Refurbishment and extension within existing buildings
– Huge improvements to quality of spaces and accessibility
– Provide additional space for the library
– Archive facilities
New space allows for public workspace and additional archive storage
Lindley Library Archive Royal Horticultural Society
Requiring civic presence befitting the clients brief, whilst being a natural fit with the neighbouring Edwardian buildings that front the busy Barking Road. The Customer Service Centre & Library (CSC+L) is an exercise in scale, materiality, and rigorous detailing. The first phase of an extensive regeneration of a listed Town Hall complex in East Ham, London. The CSC+L brings together a range of council front line services for local people under one roof, combining library, and local service centre functions into one fit-for-purpose building.
Client London Borough of Newham
Project Value £14m
Size 4350sqm
Completion Date 2014
Awards
AR Buildings that Stand the Test of Time
Public Building - Winner 2023
Key components
– Civic Presence
– New Customer Service Centre
– Flexible floor spaces for library and workspace
– Community facilities
The public building offers various types of work spaces and library facilities
Customer Service Centre + Library, Newham
Hertford College Library, Oxford
Hertford College is in the centre of Oxford’s historic core and is nestled between some of Oxford’s most iconic Grade I Listed buildings, such as the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera.
The library is at the heart of college life and serves undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Hertford academic community and external researchers.
The redesign will include a basement extension to house improved student facilities, new reader spaces, a new archive store and additional meeting and seminar rooms. The current library will be extended and connected to the existing West Range building with essential level access incorporated across all floors. Improvements to environmental conditions and existing services will also be addressed as part of the works. MICA gained planning and listed building consent December 2021.
Client: Hertford College
Project Value: £54m
Size: 1140 sqm
Dates: 2020 - ongoing
Key components
– Extension of existing library whilst carefully repositioning existing spaces
– Exceptional research provided full justification for the scheme allowing a smooth transition through planning
– Highest quality architectural detailing of interfaces between new and old
– Maximising much needed library and study accommodation
– Complex logistics in a constrained site
Proposed diagram of development at Hertford College in Grade I Listed setting
West Range to be refurbished and linked to New Build
Extension to be removed and rebuilt Old Chapel to be restored and refurbished with link to new build
New build extension to Lower Ground below Quad
Hertford College Library, Oxford
Hertford College Library, Oxford
Sketch view showing a new basement extension to house improved student facilities, new reader spaces, a new archive store and additional meeting and seminar rooms
The Jesus College Masterplan delivers an extraordinary opportunity to complete the historic College as a city block and transform a large corner of the historic site.
At the centre of the enclosed conceptual designs is a large and lush landscaped quad that will become an outdoor social forum for the Junior Common Room and the broader College community. Beneath the quad an expanded and high quality Meyricke Library extends across the quadrant and is filled with natural light provided by a circular oculus and filtered through an oval atrium. An innovative 21st Century Library for Oxford and Jesus College.
New student residential accommodation for students and Fellows’ frames the new courtyard providing a significant population and vibrancy. High above the quad, are a series of roof gardens and an exquisite music room, enjoying unmatched views across the ‘dreaming spires of Oxford’.
Client: Jesus College
Project Value: £25m
Size: 6185 sqm
Dates: 2023 - ongoing
Key components
– Embedding the Library and North-West corner of college into identity
– Refurbishment and new build to create accessibility and openness
Circular oculus with additional social spaces around it
Meyricke Library Jesus College Oxford
Celebrating historic library space
The existing Bodley Library and its adjoining spaces presents immediate opportunities that can better celebrate and use these important spaces. In the main Bodley reading room the space offers greater opportunities for study, research space and exhibition opportunities. Recognising the historic collections in the space solutions need to consider security and invigilation. The upper Bodley will be home to a new, slender study table that would take the place of the existing 18th century radiators, with seating spaces carefully staggered to provide sufficient working space while allowing readers to pass behind.
In adjoining spaces there are opportunities to continue the incremental implementation of the MICA where existing stacks are being converted to study space together with exhibition and archive changes.
Renovation
A new roof is being installed with new wood fibre insulation and improved air tightness membranes. Windows are being overhauled and heating systems reconfigured. The radiators will be replaced with concealed fan coil units located below windows at the perimeter of the roof, providing appropriate temperature control for an environment suited to both historic books and those studying, albeit at a slightly lower temperature than a normal working environment of 18-20 °C.
Client: Christ’s College Cambridge
Project Value: confidential Size: 492 sqm Dates: 2023 - ongoing
Key components
– Refurbishment of existing library
– Environmental improvements
– Improved space configuration and study spaces
– Constrained site in central urban location
– Engagement with community, funders, City Council, Historic England Proposal for lower level study space
Bodley Library Christ’s College Cambridge
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been an invaluable source of funding for heritage and cultural projects since its inception in 1994. MICA have long experience in delivering projects funded in this way, and we pride ourselves on their success, and our contribution to this. We will always test our previous experience against current NLHF requirements, acting as invaluable allies in their application process.
We have significant experience in working with donors and fund raisers and fully understand the process involved for securing funding and support for major capital projects from a wide variety of public and private sources. We know how to present and develop proposals which appeal to donors and have been instrumental in bringing key funders into projects.
Our latest NLHF successes include funding for The Blake Cottage Trust, Hay Castle, Ipswich Museum Hub and Horniman Museum and Gardens.
Hay Castle Clore Duffield learning centre
Horniman Museum - South Hall World Gallery
Ipswich Museum Arts and Museum Hub
Fundraising
Physical models used to great success to communicate proposals to statutory heritage and funding stakeholders for Hay Castle Regeneration project.
Blake Cottage, Restoration of William Blake’s Cottage to create a new heritage tourism attraction
MICA is a studio of around 30 staff, 22 of whom are RIBA Chartered Architects. We use a broad studio organisation, with teams working in a collaborative and interlinked way. The two Directors—Stuart and Gavin—take on the role of Quality Assurance Director for each project, and work closely with the Associates who run the project on a day-to-day.
MICA is proud to announce our recent certification as a Benefit Corporation, enshrining our commitment to benefit society and the environment which has given us the opportunity to reflect on our processes and to look to the future with a tangible way of measuring and ensuring our continued accountability.
Lilian Swanson Bids + PR Manager
James Roach Senior Associate
Mandy Franz Associate Director
Gavin Miller Director
Jonathan Evans Architect
Jessie Turnbull Senior Associate
Victoria Timberlake Associate
Paul Mullin Associate Director
Stuart Cade Director
Diverse Skilled Team
Affiliations
Practice Partners W Programme
Paradigm Network
Social Mobility Fund
Architects Declare signatory
Advocates of London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI)
Advocates of RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge
NLA Partners
Accreditations
RIBA Chartered Practice
ARB Accredited Architects
RIBA Specialist Conservation Architect
Certified Passivhaus Designer
LEED Building Design and Construction
Accredited Professional
UKAS ISO 9001, 14001, 45001
B Corp
As a practice we have developed forward looking models across multiple sectors: cultural, transport, civic, and in education. MICA continuously evaluates and researches best practice and future trends across all areas of work, education and learning practices. Our wide-ranging services include masterplanning, architecture, interior design, graphics, modern methods of construction, regenerative and circular economy, net zero carbon design, healthy streets, regeneration and planning. Our full services provided are listed below:
Cities Streets
Buildings Paths Spaces
Parts
Architecture + Planning
Masterplanning + Urban Design
Conservation Architecture + Heritage
Placemaking + Landscape Design
Service Engineering
Net Zero Strategy + Sustainability
Interior Design + Space Planning + FFE
Graphics + Branding
Signage and Wayfinding
Passivhaus Design + Environmental Design
Principal Designer + Health & Safety + CDM
Technical Director + QA
Engagement + Consultation
Project Management + Contract Administration
BIM Co-ordination + Management
Architecture + Design Research
PR + Marketing
Visualisations + 3D modelling + Virtual Reality
Physical Model Making
Selected Client List
Libraries
Ashmolean Museum
Blake Society Library
Christ College Cambridge Library
Customer Service Centre and Library,
East Ham
Hertford Library
Jesus College
Lindley Library
Lincoln’s Inn Library
Queen’s College Library
New York Public Library
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Universities and Colleges
Christ’s College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Gonville and Caius, Cambridge
Hertford College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
King’s College London
Liverpool John Moores University
University of Lancaster
University of Lincoln
Mansfield College, Oxford
Oxford Brookes University
University of Oxford
University of Plymouth
University of Southampton
Nuffield College, Oxford
Peking University, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Princeton University, New Jersey
St John’s College Cambridge
The Queen’s College, Oxford
Cultural Institutions
Ashmolean Museum
The Blake Cottage Trust
Dulwich Picture Gallery
The Drapers’ Company
Eastbourne Borough Council
Southbank Centre
Hay Castle Trust
Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
Horniman Museum
Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
Metropolitan Museum of New York
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Rambert School
Royal Horticultural Society
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Wallace Collection
The Queen’s College Archive
