CASE STUDY
An oak legacy An award-winning new library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, features WoodEx® Florian European Oak thanks to a recommendation from James Latham Ltd
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inner of both the Gold Award and the Education and Public Sector category of the Wood Awards 2021, Magdalene College Library in Cambridge is a striking example of sympathetic design, beautiful materials and careful craftmanship. Built alongside the Grade I listed Pepys Library, it is the first substantial addition to the main site in over 50 years. The library design is based upon an arrangement of simple brick volumes with timber windows and pitched roofs echoing the gabled architecture of the existing college.
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Inside, the building’s structure is clear to see. Glulam beams support cross-laminated timber floor slabs which are supported on load-bearing brick piers. The architect’s intention was for all the key features to appear as an interwoven set of elements. Cambridge-based bespoke joinery firm Wedd Joinery was commissioned to manufacture all the furniture within the library including bookcases, desks and various other pieces. The specification was for solid timber much to the joinery company’s delight with Magdalene College wanting to build something for the future generation. Wedd chose to work with WoodEx® Florian European
Oak on the advice of timber and materials supplier James Latham (Lathams). The team recommended the product due to its high-quality finish and strong performance. Lathams’ extensive network and key supplier relationships provided a further advantage, as they were able to fulfil the specification and meet the demand for such a large order. In his summation of the project, Jim Greaves, Chair of Buildings Judges, Wood Awards 2021 said: “The Gold Award winner this year, Magdalene College Library, is a tour de force of architectural design and achievement. Experienced sequentially as they lead one through the building, the
