2011 Final Degree Project- CIty of Bath Archive

The City of Bath ArchiveCarolina Saludes Orduña: [email protected]

Acknowledgements

Tim BurgessMartin GledhillColin Johnston

Anne BuchannanDerek Rowe

Stephen ClewsAndy Shea

y cosita.

Thank you for all the help and relentless support

Project Intent

My target for this project has been to explore the nature of the city of Bath, the real place underneath the layer of image, and to provide it with a building unique to itself. From the beginning I knew that I wanted to design a public building, and one that would carry within it the weight of the city’s memory and identity. I wasn’t so much intrested in the global effect the design of this particular building could have, but rather what impact I could have on the grain and History of this place.

Always interested in the subject of time in Architecture, this project created a great opportunity for me to investigate the nature of the remaining, both physical and metaphorical. Whether I have succeeded in producing a design within the framework of this semester is for the tutors to decide. I, however, feel very pleased with the journey taken, and felt that I have learned a lot. from it.

The names mentioned here are only a few of the myriad of people that, directly or by chance, have helped me in this venture, in this expedition to the depths of the City of Bath and back.

Philosophical Background

[8- 25]

Brief + Site

[26- 51]

Townscape

[52- 73]

The Journey

[74- 107]

Tectonics

[108- 135]

Environmental Strategy

[136- 151]

Regulations and Compliance

[152- 165]

Conclusion

[166- 169]

‘ Bath could have a sort of Paper Museum, the memory of the city put together in one place‘‘‘‘Anne Buchanan, Local Studies Librarian, Bath Central Library

‘ Bath could have a sort of Paper Museum, the memory of the city put together in one place...’

‘ Bath could have a sort of Paper Museum, the memory of the city put together in one place‘‘‘‘‘ Bath could have a sort of Paper Museum, the memory of the city put together in one place...’

Philosophical Background

This project, the City of Bath Archive, poses numerous philo-sophical challenges for any designer. The subject of the private versus the public, the chaotic versus the ordered, and the new

versus the old represent a real battle when trying to create a co-herent and complete building. This section aims at explaining the response to some of those questions, which would afterwards

affect the decision making process of the building.

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Philosophical background

The role of archives in Western society has been prominent since Egyptian times. In Athens the original Archive of the city state, the Archón, corresponded to the word Archonte, magistrate, as the city’s laws were kept under the roof of the higher magistrate of the city.Since then, archives have been a en essential part of cemocracy, and in many ways reflect the character , the identity and the History of the people.

An archive in itself is nothing. It does not judge, interpret or create, it simply stores and protects for future generations. In that sense it is a white canvas, a world of opportunities. It can however be easily perverted by a particular generation or group of people. That is why the keeping of the integrity of the Archive is a hugely relevant job, not just for the now, but for the fu-ture. In that sense there is something collective and sacred about archives

The ‘Archive’ is only a notion, an impression associated with a word and for which we have no concept. 'Having no concept' in this way might liber-ate the word from its understanding as tightly connected to its etymological roots in the ancient Greek word 'arkhe' and the Latin word 'archivum' (or 'archium'). In his etymological reading, Derrida discovers that 'arkhe' means the 'site of beginning' containing two principles: in its ontological sense it is

the site of 'commencement' ("where things commence"), while in nomologi-cal sense it is the site of 'commandment' ("where men and gods command"). Therefore it refers to the birth of both the natural and artificial orders of

the world.

Archives in motion - ‘Approaches, perspectives, interlinking’, Judit Bodor, 2005

Aerial View of the Athenian Agora as it is now.

13

The Archive and the Archivist in Society

THE ARCHIVIST AS MEDIATOR

In this context of the permanent versus the changing,there is a figure that mediates both states, that connects the remains of the past to the reality of the present. That person is the Archivist, who follows in the tradition of the Archonte, keeping, protect-ing, remembering the Archive’s contents. Through their knowledge of the intricacies of the objects and the choice they make of what to keep and what to throw, Archivists have a power in society much un-derstated in our day. It is not the case anymore that the repositories of knowledge are in the hands of the only literate people, and so they hold the key to the truth. Knowledge is available to all, open to all. But, in this the figure of the Archivist has always been and will always be different , as they keep and protect not just the idea, but the physical media in which it was first expressed. This holding of the real, of the unique, mantains now as much as ever before the role of the Archivist as a crucial one in society. They mediate between the question and the answer, the looked for and the found. Nowadays, as we will see, the role of the Archivist has expanded geographically, having to reach to millions more than before, but their role has not changed. Their importance is something that any Archive design should reflect, because, quite simply , the Archive doesn’t exist if noone has the key to

unlock it.

Archivists as mediators, providers of information that becomes knowledge in the hands of the citizen.

14


‘The experience and memory of humankind are laid down in layers in the physical environment, concretely and graphi-cally. Every new part exploits ancient forms, materials and ways of making. Building is, at base, a sign of hope, a sign of society’s belief in future, a gesture forward in time’.

Carlo Scarpa, excerpt form the book ‘Layers’, by Anne-Catrin Schultz, Stuttgart, 2007

This Archive, this building, behaves like the Archivist him-self: it is a mediator between tow worlds, between two conditions. Like the archivist it pierces through matter and remains to reveal and protect what is worth keeping, and to show it to the world

15

The destruction of Layers

....and travelling between that strata to real-ize about our connection with time, history, memory and knowledge.

16


‘ The books envelope the central box, cre-ating a structure within a structure, and the impression of a tabernacle’

17

Precedents: Beinecke Manuscript Library, Yale University

The Beinecke Library of Manuscripts as a jewel box, where the normal order of public overground and archive underground has been swopped, and the archive is presented as a jewel box, al-most mystical and sacred. It is an altar to knowledge and the trans-mission of knowledge. The exhibition spaces are organised around the ‘box’ of books, creating at the same time a museum-like space in the superstructure and a library-like space in the substructure.

The Main floor Plan of the Library, with the reading and exhibition spaces around the protected books.

Long Section through the building, showing the ‘box inside a box and the reading rooms and staff offices underground.

Main View of the Library, with the stacks of bookshelves. The control point is on the Ground Floor and the interior of the ‘box’ are the conser-vation lab and more storage spaces.

1

2

3

2 3

18


Very clear example of urban regeneration, urban re-use. The fabric of the city, instead of petrified or preserved as originally, is deemed relevant but not so much that it should be made into a Museum. This has the con-sequence of the loss of some of that strata, and so the loss of information

on what was there before. However, at the same time it allows for the city to reinvent itself without having to move altogether.. The city cen-tre does not becomes a historical graveyard, but rather it changes role and adapts itself to the new needs of the inhabitants. The memory of the past is preserved in the streets, in the shape of buildings and in ground level re-mains. It is present but not president of the current history of the City.

A close view at the re-inhabitation of buildings around the city. The old Roman arches of the Amphitheatre are used as the ceiling of a house.

Aerial view of the old amphitheatre, of which the only thing left now is the shape. The historic layering does not just manifest itself through ruins but also through the urban fabric of a place.

The old town of Lucca, in Italy. It is easy to see the old Roman city, with the amphitheatre on the North, reused and re-inhabited, for the modern needs of the city.

1

2

3

3 4

19

Precedent s: The city of Lucca, Italy

5

20


The New wing of the Town Hall of Utrecht represents a perfect example

of ‘architectural cannibalism’, the reinvention, reuse and reinter-pretation of existing buildings. The building does not just create an archi-tectural language that talks of the historic layering of the site, but also, and because of its function of Town Hall, represents the city and the people of Utrecht. The cosmopolitanism and the heterogeneity of people is repre-sented in the borrowed windows (pictures 1 + 3) from the old building, in the multi-coloured steps and the reinvention of the building materials

used. All this is however combined with the principles of ‘Townscape’, through which the space is occupied attending to the fabric of the city around it. It is a controversial project, perhaps because it represents what many Dutch people don’t want to see, themselves, or perhaps because the architectural language contrasts rather than mimics the surrounding.1

2

21

Utrecht Town Hall, Utrecht, Netherlands

The Neoclassical Town Hall, on the opposite side. The profound contrast between this structure and

the new one does not just reflect the change in time, but also the change in the character of the city, now

cosmopolitan and renovated.The windows of the new wing are reused from the prvious

structure, recreating but also defying the traditional urban ele-ments.

The renovation of the East wing of the Utrecht Town Hall by Enric Miralles in 2000. The original architec-tural language comes from the use of construction elements previously used in the old building, a kind

of ‘architectural cannibalism’.

1

2

3

4Section through the building, showing the old building on the left and the new extension on the right.

3

4

Brief and Site

In the context of the philosophical and social impor-tance of the Archive building within a city or nation, it is very important to identify the place from which the Archive can fulfil that role at its best. There is the chal-lenge of choosing and arguing for either a big Archive building outside the city, looking out for the documents, not for the people, or a smaller Archive within the City, choosing people over comfort.. This choice affects the brief profoundly, and sets out the principles of the pro-ject, both in terms of language and program.

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Brief and Site

The choice of site for the City of Bath Archive [CoBA] is both a practical and symbolic one. Drawing from the ideas of the Agora and the Roman Forum and of the customer base of the pubic Records Office, it was clear that the new City of Bath Archive had to

be located centrally. As a store for the documents of the City, the fact that the Archive is at its core is the most adecuate option, as it is not only close to the sources of the documents, but it

also completes the picture of the history of Bath. As we will see, the physical connec-tion to the Roman Baths and the Abbey adds to the touristic attraction of the city centre, and makes the visitors to the city part fo the experience of the Archive. It is also a very convenient location for the local visitors to the Archive, as it is very well

connected to all parts of the county through public transport. Moreover, it is conveni-ently located for researchers who need to come on a regular basis.

The diversity of spaces that the site offers and its connection to the Museum offer a unique opportunity to create a special, relevant and rooted building, that will contrib-

ute to the understanding of the city within the context of the unique urban fabric.

1 The site is at the very heart of Bath, with the Guildhall, the Abbey, the Roman Baths and the Tourist Information centre within 200 metres of it.

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Page Title

28

Brief and Site

Bath and North East Somerset: the site in

the context of modern Bath

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The site within the City

The City Centre: the site in the context of

Georgian Bath.

The City within the Walls: the site in the con-

text of Roman Bath.

30

Brief and Site

The Roman Baths Museum

THE SITE

The Bath Information Centre

The Bath Abbey

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Negative and positive: the building s and the squares

‘ In fact there is an art of relationship just as there is an art of architecture. Its purpose is to take all the elements that go to create the environment: buildings, trees, nature, water, traffic, advertisements and so on, and to weave them togeth-er in such a way that drama is released. For a city is a dramatic event in the environment. (...) The aim is not to dic-tate the shape of the town or environment, but rather a more modest one: simply to manipulate within the tolerances.’

‘The concise Townscape’, Gordon Cullen, Architec-tural Press, 1961, page 8.

Kingston Parade

Abbeychurch Yard

Abbey Green

32

Brief and Site

One of the most important aspects of this site is its three dimensionality. Being so close to the Roman Baths Museum, brings the opportunity of dealing not just with the super-structure of the city as it is today, but with the substructure of the city as it used to be.The connection between the CoBA and the Roman Baths Museum is essential, both architecturally and programmatically, as it creates a link between two main attractions in the city, provides the CoBA with a steady flow of people, and al-lows the collections of both institutions to be shared, enhanced and improved.

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Superstructure versus Substructure

SUPERSTRUCTURE

Substructure

34

Brief and Site

Roman Villa Mosaic

Saxon Burial Remains

Medieval Remains (masonry building)

Current Cellar Floor of no. 2

Georgian Remains

35

Layers on site

There is an evident layering of History on site. The image shows a sample from the archaeologcial site of 2, Abbey Street. This section, seen in the Archeological Report

produced in 1981, shows the strata found underneath the cellars spanning almost 20 centuries. At the bottom there are signs of a Roman Villa situated in front of the Baths,

particularly a mosaic. On top there were some Saxon burials found, and on top of which there were signs of and early medieval masonry building. After that there is writ-ten evidence that the site was part of the Priory Green, so there is no strata on site. The next are some early georgian structures, which gave way to the current buildings. This overlapping is crutial for the development of the project, as it demonstrates the

historic value of the site, which makes it all the more appropriate for the CoBA.

36

Chapter Title

- 70 AD

Site of the City of Bath

ROMAN TEMPLE COMPLEX

The Norman Abbey, with the cloister still existing.

70 - 450 AD

1100- 1500 AD

37

Layers of History

The Norman Abbey, with the cloister still existing.

Development of Bath in the 18th century [Georgian Bath]

THE CITY OF BATH ARCHIVE

Aditional floor added to the CoBA

1700-1780 AD

2011 AD

2060 AD

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Brief and Site

The people of Bath, who consti-tute the soul of the city and define its identity, are a huge part of the Archive. With archives holding the documents that make the history of the families and the places, it would be impossible not to address the archive as a place for the basis of memory. It is somehow more pri-vate an experience than that of the tourists. This group is addressed not just through the access to fam-ily history but also through education

TOURISTS SCHOLARS

LOCALS

HISTORY

KNOWLEDGEIDENTITY

This group is essential as they are those who see the city from the outside, with a fresh view. The public space becomes an edu-cational place, but also a space for all.

The Archives constitute the basis, not just of memory, but also of His-tory, as they hold the original docu-ments, the artifacts of culture that are then interpreted and located in the context of the city’s story.

39

Who is this building for?

The ArchiveIt is the heart of the building, the place where those three groups of people come together, regardless of their origin or interest. This is at the core of the history of the archive itself, as the origin of the word archive, from the Greek arkheión, means nomologically a place of gathering. As Jacques Derrida said in his book ‘Archive fever’: ‘The archontic principle of the Archive is also a principle of consignation, that is, of gathering together’.

‘The archontic principle of the Archive is also a prin-ciple of consignation, that is, of gathering together’.

40

Brief and Site

The Archive

The Archive is approached as a medieval monastery, a depository of knowledge. Exploration of the idea of the physical versus the Virtual character. The spirituali-sation of the space of knowledge, drawing from the idea of the Metroon, where the Goddess of the City was worshipped. The exploration of the idea of outside and inside of the archive, the ways of accessing it and its relationship to the ex-

hibiton, library and reading spaces.

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What are the main spaces?

EXHIBITION SPACE

Very similar to the Forum, although it could be indoors instead of outdoors. Similar char-acter to the Agora, the Roman Forum or the Saynatsalo Town Hall. It can be easily identified with the external visitors, the tourists, who can then have a visual understanding of the place and its History, in conjunction with the Ro-man Baths, the Pump Rooms and the Abbey.

LIBRARY READING SPACE

The Curia, a place of gathering of the Locals, similar in function and sym-bology to the Curia Julia in Rome

The chamber, like in the coun-cil chamber in Saynatsalo, and simi-lar to the H+T Essay examples

The Forum The Curia The Chamber

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Brief and Site

Shop and Store: 75 m2. Main purpose is to make a profit of the exhibitions and pro-vide visitors with souvenirs of the City..

Staff Offices, including small li-brary : 75 m2. Offices for the stock team (stock manager, librarian and assistant), the head archivist and conservation experts. Also space for a secretary, and a small library for the keeping of the Archive.

Conservation Lab, including and isolation/ drying area and sorting and labelling: 100 m2. The Conservation Lab includes map and book conservation equipment, care for photographic material and a space for storage for curatorial purposes. It is the centre for preservation and convervation of material. It is a very sensitive area environmentally, so it needs careful light , temperature and humidity control.

SHOP

COM-MON R.

STAFF OFFICES

CONSERVA-TION LABSORTING/

LABELLINGTEMP.

STORAGEISOLATION/

DRYINGLOADING

BAYSTAFF

ENTRANCE

KITCHEN

WC

Loading Bay, Temporary Storage and Staff Entrance: 50 m2. The temporary storage serves as a place before the sort-ing of newcoming books, as a drop-off place for donations, and a place of conditioning for the material. The Loading bay is sheltered and partly within the building.

Common Room, including small kitch-en: 60 m2. The common room is a pri-vate and relaxing area for the Archive staff. It therefore benefits of good natural light and views, particularly to Abbey Green.

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Programme

Exhibition space, including ticket sales desk: 200 m2. This space be-comes the first point of contact of the public with the content of the Archive. It connects to the Roman Bath Museuum either implicitely or explicitely, and could be either indoors , outdoors or a combination of both. It has an essential role in spreading the importance of the Archives within the context of the City.

Reception, Coat-room and Security Office: 90 m2.. Main entrance to the building and point of information.

Library, including the local history reference books, a relaxed reading area and a music area: 170 m2. Used as the big draw for local visitors to explore the archives, and a space particularly suited for people wanting to find about their family history or about the History of Bath. It is quite a public space, especially address-ing Kingston Parade, the more civic part of the site.

Workshops, used as two classrooms or one small auditorium: 50 x 2 m2. Connected to the main spaces, but iso-lated enough to be used independent-ly of both. It can be used for conferences, talks, lectures, etc. It is a space that can be rented out, and that requires good nat-ural light, probably from Abbey Green.

Café and kitchen: 100 m2. . Space for socializing and link to the pub-lic squares, particularly Abbey Green.

Customer Desk and access to the Permanent Store and Staff facilities: 15 m2. Mediator between the Public and the pri-vate spaces of the building. It is one of the most sensitive spaces, and requires careful light control.

The Permanent Store, including different levels of temperature, humid-ity and security control: 650 m2.This space will allow for adequate storage of the present collections plus a 30% predicted addition for the next 20 years. After that a second off-site facility can then be discussed. Space accessed through the archivist’s desk, but not necessarily kept visually away from the public.It is the core of the building, and it is very intertwined with the other spaces, in particular the Library, the Exhibition Space and the Reading Room.

The ArchiveIndividual Booths 1

Individual Booths 2

Individual Booths 3

READING ROOM

Workshops

LIBRARY

EXHIBITION SPACE

ARCHIVIST’S DESK

RECEPTION CAFE

ENTRANCE

COAT ROOM SECURITY

WC

WC

Reading Room, including individual Booths for book reading and booths for map reading: 150 m2. This is a quiet reading area, the only place where valuable material can be researched and seen. It is particularly targetted at scholars, journalists, writers, etc. This spaces requires a degree of light control, and probably needs to be close to the Permanent Store.

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Brief and Site

Putting together all the local collections into one Archive is in itself a symbol, a symbol of the Archive as gathering. It is hugely important for the city that its main atractions be together, and having a united, strong Archive, linked to the Roman Baths Museum assures both its economic future and its influence in the city. The coming together of the different Baths and the different collections is a perfect start for this new building

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The contents of the Archive

Bath Central Archive

The small archive of the Bath Preservation Trust will be moved to the central archive coinciding with the renovation of 1, Royal Crescent. This collection includes documents on the construc-tion of Georgian Architecture.

700 volumes on the history of Bath called the Local Collection. It includes the libraries of the Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club and the Bath District of the Somerset Archaeologi-cal and Natural History Society.

The Bath Central Library holds around 7000 documents on the His-tory of Bath, which include : the Ju-venile Collection, the Napoleonic Collection, the Binding collection, the Bible Collection, the Manuscripts and incunables, the trade card Col-lection, drawings, prints, engravings, photographs and the playbills of the Theatre Royal. These documents will consitute the especial collections of the Archive for their significance and rarity, and will signify a challenge for the design of appropriate storage and conservation spaces. Also, some of these documents and artifacts will be exhibited in the exhibition spaces, in conjunction with the BRLSI artifacts.

Around 10,000 documents on the HIs-tory of Bath, including documents such as: the Council Minutes, the Chamberlain’s Ac-counts, the City of Bath Charters, the Ancient Deeds, the Surveys and rentals of Corporate Property, the Corporation Leases, the Coun-cil Committees, the Parish Records, Maps and PLans of the City, Photographs and Private De-posits.This makes up for the biggest amount of documents to go into the Archive, and the most significant ones for the local community.v

Central Library Archives + Local History library

Public Records OfficeArchives

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution Archives

Bath PreservationTrust Archives

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Brief and Site

Mention the Talks about merging the Bath Central Library and the PRO.Also, mention the opinion of Colin of having ideally a purpose-built new archive and having it in the centre of Bath, because of the strong local base of the costumers of the PRO. At least 30% of extra space needed, plus proper conditioning for the delicate documents and more and more appropriate reading space.

The BCL with the face of Anne Buchanan, the head of the spe-cial collections. Lack of Storage space, lack of staff to catalogue the collections that aren’t digitized, and lack of marketing for the local collections. Also, although they lend artefacts for ex-ternal exhibitions, there is not enough specialized staff to organ-ize exhibitions within the Library, nor have they considered the possibility of self funding through charging for entry to exhibi-tions.. If they had new facilities they would look into having spe-cialized storage space for big books, maps and newspapers, cold storage for film and pictures, and proper conditioning for all of the collections, not just the most delicate ones. There is a very keen interest in making some of the collections available to the public, particularly the Napoleonic and Juvenile Collections,

Using the collections of the BRLSI and the BPT as a permanent loan from both institutions, so they benefit from the storage facilities and the exposure, as well as being able to free space for new collections. In the case of the BPT, the Archive of Bath comes in very useful as 1, Royal Crescent is being refurbished and united to 1a, Royal Crescent.

Bath Public Records Office

Bath Central Library

BRLSI and the Bath Preservation Trust (Collaboration)

PROJECT FUNDING

Collaboration between the two bodies, with the National Lottery probably getting involved in the part that is more related to the pub-lic and the Council financing and specifying the needs of the Archive itself and how the building fits in with the regional and National Archives.

+

Self Funding after Building Completion

The possibility of funding the building during its working time using the sales of the exhibition, and the possibility of making some of the ma-terial from the library for a book shop. There is also the option of using the selling of digital documents, similar to the ‘Bath in Time’ web-site, to finance some of the Archive’s needs.

THE CLIENT

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Client and funding

15 sqm100 sqm15 sqm50 sqm60 sqm

200 sqm50 sqm20 sqm10 sqm75 sqm

170 sqm30 sqm

650 sqm100 sqm60 sqm15 sqm

Total spatial requirements 1985 m2

Archivist’s DeskCafé + KitchenCoat RoomCommon AreaConservation LabExhibition Space + Ticket deskIndividual BoothsIsolation/ DryingKitchenLecture RoomLibraryLoading BayPermanent StoreReading RoomReceptionSecurity

75 sqm20 sqm75 sqm20 sqm

Shop + StorageSorting/ LabellingStaff OfficesTemporary Storage

150 sqm

100 sqmWCs (x 4)Workshops (x 2)

Spatial Requirements

The projected cost of the CoBA could be considered higher than is strictly necessary for an Aarchive building. However, considering the design quality, and the effective life expectancy of the building, it is a reasonable amount. There are numerous possible sources of income after its opening, which coul make up for its ex-pense, and there is always the possibility of selling the building and moving to a different site in the far future. Considering site restrictions, structural considerations and material expense.Within the budgettin of the building the re is no need to take landscape into account as it is minimal and included in the cost of the Exhibition Area. The extraordinary costs of the Repository have been taken into account though, adding on contractor fees, consultant fees and probably design contingencies.

CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE (@ 2nd Quarter 2011):

Construction Estimate: Unit Rate (Cost/ Square metre) x GFA = 4500 gbp (Add …% for Repository needs) = 1071900 gbp

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………SUB-TOTAL A = 11.790.900 gbp

TOTAL PROJECT COST ESTIMATE( + consultants + Statutory fees+ Contractor Fees+ Design contingencies) = 15.000.000 gbp

2382m2 + 20% circulation

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Brief and Site

49

Page Title

Townscape

Building on a site such a this is a huge challenge. There is no landscape per se, as it is occupied by the city’s urban fabric, but instead one must deal with and extremely sensitive and challenging site. Preserving the character of each of the squares and streets around the site and at the same time making a statement to the city is probably one of the most difficult challenges in this project

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Chapter Title

The ‘city’ dimension, at which level the Archive acts as a ‘tower’, seek-ing attention. The repository has a veryclose relationship to the Ab-bey, and together they are a focal point at the bottom of the valley.

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Page Title

54

Chapter Title

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Page Title

Much like in the Piazza San Marco in Venice (safe the size), in this small cluster of squares in Bath the sacred, the banal, the civc and the local all meet up. It is the role of this building to make sense of all this and contribute to the character, clarity and taste of the city, the site, the squares. Keeping the hierarchy

has been very difficult, yet at the same time all the clues taken from this complex site have helped a lot in desgning the buildings interior.

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Chapter Title

57

North Elevation

This facade resembles a Georgian Facade, clear cut, vertical, multistorey and uniform. It is differ-ent however in that it is sectioned. Now we can see what happens inside Bath, there is no pro-jected image of what the Archive wants to be. There is just the Archive, and the people of Bath.

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Chapter Title

As mentioned before the relationship between the Roman Baths and the Archive is crucial, so much so that they are connected underground, as cna be see in the image. The relationship between over and undeground, the now and the past, is essential to under-

stand the building

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The building from the Roman Baths

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Chapter Title

61

East Elevation

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Chapter Title

Relationship new + old: the new building on site and what has been kept of the old ones. The character of the side street as a very important transition space that allows a peek into the exhibition space. The two streets are however intended for directing the pas-

ser by to the squares and ultimately the building.

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West Elevation

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Chapter Title

65

South Elevation

The old fcade of the building has been kept, both for architectural reasons as it fits much better in the townscape, and for environ-mental reasons, as it keeps the thermal mass of that facade. The facade shows the layering, the peeling off of one to show the next

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Chapter Title

Abbey Green has a lot in common with the city of Lucca, as we have seen it before. Its shape derives from all the buildings that slowly remained and were not destroyed by time. It has a very complex urban grain, and and extraor-dinary overlapping of structures, styles and architectures. It is a beautiful piece of the old city, and is therefore worth

preserving

Abbey Green

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Abbey Green

68

Chapter Title

69

Kingston Parade

It is a public square, an Agora, a space for civic recreation. This place is used as the location for the Bath Christmas market, hugely symbolic considering Bath came to be in the Middle Ages as a market Town.

The layers of the facade show how the human scale protrudes forward whilst the City scale is pushed backwards. The CoBA has a presence over the Square, and completes it, but it doesn’t overpower it by createing a ‘cliff ’ facade.

Kingston Parade

The Journey

There are several challenges to the design of an archive building. As we have seen before, there’s the relationship between public and private, the amount fo access public can have to archival material, where the repository actually starts, the problem of how to thread all of that into a story that makes sense within the archive. This next few images hopefully will answer some of those questions.

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The Journey

Exhibition Space

LibraryReading Room

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Long Section through the building

The question of where the beginning of the ‘exterior’ of the archive is is the very question of the Archive.’

The exhibition space is a place of viewing, a vantage point for the rest of the building. There is a sense of seeing but not accessing that entices the visitor further inside. There are two very distinctive ‘worlds’ connecting here: the primitive world of the archaeological site and the exhibition space, and the sophisticated world of the repository above, looming over the

site like the shadow of modernity over History.

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The Jounery

81

the Atrium

The Atrium on top of the exhibition space acts as a borehole through history. It is a vehicle to a different world, the world of the repository, and a chance to experience the whole building from one single space. The sense of awe, of History, is such that the visitor needs to come further into the building to discover

more.

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The Journey

83

The Library space

84

The journey

The Library is the face of the city, the direct visual connection between the outside and the inside of the archive, and the civic presence of the Building in the city. In a similar way to the Turku Library by JKMM Architects , the CoBA quietly but assertively opens itself up to the city,advertises itself, and at the same time gives something back to the city. This space is hugely important as a place of study, of connection with the city and of discovery.

85

The Library space

Access to information is more than a legal right: it becomes an indicator by which effective democracies can be measured.

Jaques Derrida, ‘Archive Fever: A Freudian Impression, Chicago, 1996.

86

The journey

87

The reading Room

This is the end and the start of the journey. The individual pods are spaces of creation, of the original and the new. Nested, protected, like the books and documents of the Repository. This is the only public area of the Repository,

and is the heart of the building.

The building, and the atrium, fitted into the grain of the city. The building blends in with the other city landmarks: the Guildhall, the Roman Baths Museum, the Abbey and Putney Bridge.

90

The Journey

Entrance to the CoBA

91

Basesment Floor Plan

Exhibition Space

Wcs

Plantroom

92

The Journey

93

Ground Floor plan

Exhibition Space

Shop till

Reception

Café

Kitchen

94

The journey

Bookshop

Staff common room

95

First and Second Floor Plans- Bookshop and Workshops

Workshops

Staff officesConservation lab

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The Jounery

Conservation Lab

Library Level 1

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Third and Fourth Floor Plans- Libraries 1 and 2

Reading RoomLibrary Space

Archivist’s Desk

98

The Journey

Repository

Plantroom

99

Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Floors- The Repository

This section shows the dialogue between the repository and the exhibition space. The Atrium does not just connect archive and ruins, it creates a vertical axis, that connects the built remains, and the written remains. It is an axis through History, from the primitive [pre roman remains] to the modern [digital data stored on the archive].

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The jounery

103

The Atriumv

A place of observation, of dominance. the repository looms over the rest of the building, reminding the public what the function of it really is. Although the archive responds to the traditional form in that it is

inaccesible, it is modern in the way that it is more than a suggestion, it is a visible reality. The experience of the

archive is therefore heightenned, not diminished. The figure of the archivsit is made honour to by giving

him the the position of observer of the world. This position of observation over history, the city and the public also responds to their role as observers and

gatherers of life in the city.

Tectonics

106

Tectonics

107

Page Title

There were several challenges faced when designing this strucuture:- Designing on a site with four existing structures that haven’t been surveyed since they were built.- Designing on top of a very sensitive archaeological site.- Designing on a tight site, which wouldn’t allow for big trunks to drop off big precast structural members.- Designing a contemporary, sophisticated Archive, with all of the requirements to go with it.

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Tectonics

There were a few keys responses to the huge structural challenges that the site and program imposed on the project. The archaeological ruins would be uncovered and included ithe exhibition areas,determining a building supported on columns and cores. Also the Repository needed to be off the ground to avoid riskof flooding,which meant having a verytall building from early on. The third important response was to have a mediating member that could adapt to the characteristics of the site whilst creating the right framework for a contemporary, sophisticated Archive building. Finally, it was very important to keep some of the exist-ing structures on the site, both for architectural reasons and for their obvious historical value.The result, as we will se in the following pages, is a new structure slot-ted into the old footprint of the site. This structure, robust and strong, protects and holds the old remains, much like a female tiger, which, whilst being extremely fierce and strong, has a vey delicate way of holding its cub in its mouth so it doesnt get hurt. Hopefully this delicateness of treatment will show in the main structural decisions and in the construc-tion details.

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The Principles

110

Tectonics

The building and its making are an expression of its role both in itself and within the city. The concealing and revealing of the materials that make the building correspond to the narrative, the light conditions and the program

of the building.

The external materials respond directly to the programmatic needs of the interior spaces and to the design of the townscape around the building.. The glass facade imposes a contemporary civic presence in Kingston Parade, where it shares space with the abbey and the Roman Baths. In abbey green on the other hand, thebuilding is surrounded by very small scale market town buildings,and is therefore imprative to keep a uniform muted look to

the facade.The Repository,which is hardly visible from the streets directly around the-building, fulfils a much bigger scale role: it is a beacon, a landmark fitted into

the Bath skyline.The internal concrete structure reflects those moves, whilst serving the in-ternal spaces. The repository is nested in the heart of the building on top of the archaeological ruins, protected by the public spaces that get all the

natural light.

111

The Structural Diagram

HISTORY

THE CITY

112

Tectonics

The structural system for the building is in principle similar to that of a Gothic cathedral. There is a huge

vertical load coming from the top of the building (the Tower in a cathedral, the repository in the CoBA),

which is distributed down into the ground at several points, rather than solid walls. In both cases, this

creates spaces that play with light and shadow, and that respect the ground (cathedrals had burial sites

underneath them, the Archive has historical remains).

Ground Floor plan of the Archive. The structure is clearly expressed in the column ring around the

building, which holds up the old facade and the new structure. In between those elements spaces are

created, either to allow light, ventilation, circulation or views.

Ground Floor Plan

Bath Abbey exterior and interior

113

The Public Areas

The Library area of the building, in the North Facade, is held up by the two concrete cores (the lift shaft and the emergencystaircase) and the two concrete fins of the main staircase. This, added to the concrete columns around the perimeter, hold up the five floors and the dead load of books and equipment.

This show the structural grid of the exhibition space columns. these columns hold up the huge weight of the repository on top. However, the columns have been overdesigned to allow for a future fourth floor of repository toe put in place.

The staff area of the building is held up purely by theconcrete columns around it as the ground underneath is historically sensi-tive. The structure however is used to the maximum as the space between the columns allows light down into the exhibition areas

114

Tectonics

Fifth, Sixth and Seventh floor plans. The structure is made out of precast concrete, and the thickness of

it give it the needed thermal mass for the repository. There are no openings to the outside of the building, to avoid solar gains and wind. It is however open to

the inside Atrium, if only to allow light in. The response of having the repository on the top

of the building is both structural and symbolical. The thick concrete walls are then clad in a bright brass

alloy, which doesn’t need any maintenance, and which shimmers with sunlight.

As we can see, the two structural cores run all the way from the basement to the top of the building,

which gives these three floors extra stability,

Repository Plan

115

The Repository

THE ARCHIVE’S REPOSITORY

The permanent store is a precast concrete structure made out fo pre-cast panels that allow for very sophisticated technology to ensure for the documents’ security. Aside from the thick concrete walls and insulation, the repository walls a re fittes with and oxygen depleating system, which control the aire temperature, moistre content and posible risks of fire. Sprinklers, for obvious reasons, would not have been a good option. The walls are rendered with a non dusty plaster, so that dust and loose particles don’t damage the documents. The rolling stacks are located on the structural grid to avoid stress on the structure. Finally, the circulation is organised around the atrium, which gives natural lighting to the space whilst keeping the books away from direct daylight

Repository ceiling prepared to be in the future another floor of the repository through not being exposed to the elements, and having the same shape. The concrete structure in the exhibition area is over designed to allow for this to happen. The repository is designed for the next 50 years, and the extension could make it viable for another 25.

The repository is clad in TECU© Brass, a material specially designed as a low maintenance building cladding.. It is a beautiful and deli-cate looking material, that fites very well with the prominence of the Archive’s storage area and the colour palette of the city.

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Tectonics

The old facade of the previous four buildings on site. These facades are listed, and have a significant value for the history of the city and the site. It was an architectural decision to keep a ‘layer’ of history around the new building, which also works on an environemntal level.

The nails that hold up the old facade and are then connected to the in situ concrete columns

Insitu concrete columns with timber formwork finish, which allow for light to come down to the exhibition space and the inner public buildings. It is very important that they are insitu, as the old facades belong to four different buildings that have never been fully surveyed, which would make it almost impossible to design precast members. Also, these ‘flexible’ columns adapt to the existing site whilst creating a framework for the precast concrete structure of the Repository.

Both streets on the East and West facades of the building are held up by the concrete walls of the exhibition space. This way there is no structural stress on the old facade walls, which are fixed on to the street floor for stability.

117

Assembling

Timber panelling to cover the staff area, as well as the library area, to provide a nested and

warm environment to work and study in. This is benefitially architecturally and environmentally, as

it means that the occupancy energy is kept within the building for longer.

Solar panels on top of the staff area, which is in the Southern most part of the building.

Concrete slabs slotted into the concrete col-umns, which gives robustness and stability to the structure. Through the connections between col-umn and floor slab some clabling and ventilation

ducting goes through, which means the whole building can be connected, but with minimum

impact.

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Tectonics

The in situ concrete columns are an essential part of the structure and the story of the building.

These in situ concrete columns, which adapt to the existing facades, and prepare the site for the

more sophisticated structure of the repository, act as a mediator. This mediation can be related to that of the archivist, who connects the inside with the

outside, the private with the public. The old masonry structure, valuable and ornament-ed, has to be preserved as untouched as possible, so special brass nails have been designed to both hold up the structure and create a beautiful light

effect in between columns. This careful but efficient system can be related to the idea if the tiger and

the cub.The concrete columns not only have an architec-

tural and structural role, but also play a crucial role environmentally, as we will see in the next few

pages.

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The column detail

Custom system of double nails screwed onto each other, ech of them then screwed on to the structural elements. The brass cover is sized so that it cov-ers the necessary plastic top. Each odfthe nails is about 400 mm long, and in sets of two. Each group is spaced from each other some 700 mm, providin 4 anchors point per original floor.

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Tectonics

PHASE 1

The original building, consisting of four structures, several residences and businesses. The first steps would be to empty those out and strip the inside of valuable materials. Very soon afterwards, permanent scaffolding would be installed, which would remain on site until completion.

PHASE 2

Next up the north facade of the site woul be knocked down and the cleaning of the inside would start from there to the inside. There is no truck access to Abbey Green, so all vehicles and operations have to be carried out through York Street and Kingston Parade. It had to be pointed out as well that the floor of Kingston Parade is a false ceiling for the Roman Baths Museum, and therefore heavy load vehicles would not be permitted on site.

PHASE 3

The ring foundation at a distance of 450 mm from the Roman Baths would be placed on site, having carefully covered the archaeological ruins previously. This ring foundation would have underneath groups of piles fol-lowing the grid of the concrete columns.All the vertical members of the staff area should be put in place, then those in the Exhibition Space and then those for the Library (including lift and stair cores).

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Construction Process

PHASE 4

The precast slabs are placed on site from the back to the front, assembling the robust structure that will hold up the repository. Whilst one team are working on the slabs in the North area the next can be fitting the cabling and the timber panelling.

PHASE 5

The precast concrete walls and floors are dropped on site in smaller pieces (there would be no space for a crane). As described before, those precast walls would be fitted with an array of services to protect the docu-ments.

PHASE 6

Once the building is sealed, the glass and brass clad-ding can be fitted. Only then can the scaffolding be removed. For the duration of the building process there would be little or no access through the side streets, but that would be minimised as much as possible.

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Tectonics

1. 2. 3. 4.

1. In situ concrete with a timber mould finish.2. Bath stone walls from the old facades, stripped down from previous covers.3. Precast concrete panels with smooth clear cement finish.4. The archaeological ruins and pressed soil.

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Materiality- The primitive versus the sophisticated

5. 6. 7. 8.

5. Treated larch timber.6. ETFE, clear and holographic glass.

7. Laminated cherry wood.8. TECU© Brass cladding.

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Tectonics

_ In situ concrete columns, 200 x 650 (slight variation depending on facade characteristics)._ PV panels on mechanically moving stand ( to achieve most efficient angle)._ Brass frame for glazing, which also acts as a gutter.

The joints would be sealed with transparent silicone for maximum tightness. Also, the con-crete columns, which turn 90 º on the roof, hold up the glazing, and then attach them-selves back to the concrete of the repository.

Outer Skin

125

The Outer Skin

1 Timber ceiling detail._ Treated larch boards, 2x 18 x 1500 mm

_ Larch battens 100x 50 mm_ Hidden sprinkler system between the battens

_ Lighting cabling_ Precast concrete slab 150 mm

2 Timber flooring detail_ Treated larch boards 4x 18x 1500 mm

_ Larch battens 100x50 mm_ Underfloor heating system, which feeds from the concrete column ducts. Can be used for cooling in

summer._ Concrete footings 40 x 40x 20 mm

_ Separating layer_ Soft insulation (only to be installed on the First floor

of the Library adn Staff areas)_ Precast concrete slabs 150 mm

3 Skyframe© and hollographic glazing system_Double glazing with cavity, 20 mm each. Outer pane

has an automatic reflective property which makes it reflective when the holographic screen is on.

_ holographic ‘paper’ in glazing cavity_ Hidden frame ( top and bottom) with the holo-

graphic monitor and cabling fitted into it_ Ventilation pan, which keeps the holographic projec-

tors cooled, and releases some of the air from the concrete columns, either cool or warm.

1

2

3

Outer Skin

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Tectonics

1 Exhibition Space Rooflights

_ Double glazed toughened glass, 40 mm. UV protective and translucent._ Vents, to prevent moisture from creating condensation between the glass panes._ Whit e render on all sides of the cavity to create maximum reflection._ Double glazed clear toughened glass, 40 mm._ Ventilation grill on street for use in summer to create pressure differences within building._ Electrical cabling for the individual displays, which keep the adequate levels of moist content and temperature._ In situ concrete wall, with timber formwork finish. Thickness will depend on the condition of the current concrete walls. Survey necessary to establish clear answer.

2 Building’s Foundations

The Ventilation ducts connect to the buildings foundations’ ducts.The old buildings foundation would have to be surveyed to as-sess their stabiity and soundness and establish whether the ring foundation would need to be attached to them or not.

1

2

Inner building

127

The Inner Building

1

2

3

1 Book Cabitnet_ Larch wood structure cabinets

_ Cherry wood linning on the inside of the cabinets, in contact with books, 2 mm strips

_ Single glazing vitrine _ Ventilation ducts to such moist and heat out of

each cabinet._ Ventilation ducts working on closed system. Some

air gets absorved for circulation. Each of the book cabinets is independent of each other.

_ Openable side of cabinet for maintenance and cleaning.

2 Reading space ceiling detail_ TECU© Brass cladding system, fixed on to concrete wall through horizontal steel members (small piece

in between to avoid reactions)_ Precast concrete panel (200 mm in reading space

_ Hard Insulation panels 50 mm_ Separating Layer

_ Larch battens 50x 30 mm _ Electrical cabling

_ Vertical Larch strips,4x 18x 1500 mm_ Treated Larch desk slotted into the concrete walls.

This makes joins seamless.

3 Timber Floor detail (Refer to previous page)

Inner building

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Tectonics

TECU© Brass is a CuZn15-grade copper and zinc alloy that has been specially designed for use on façades by the company KME. It provides with abrasion resistance, extremely high corrosion resist-

ance and durability as well as excellent stability and material rigidity. It makes it an ideal material for such an inaccesible part of the building. Any shape and spec can be custom made for the cladding members,

just like the sizes can be customised acording to needs.Its special quality is its beautiful chocolatey colour which changes with time. It embraces decay, it changes throughout its life like the building

changes.It is very important that the repository be clad in this precious, shiny material. It doesn’t talk to the streets below it, but to the Abbey and the city skyline. It marks the repository as a place of significance for Bath. Quietly, but surely, the building demands the attention of the

citizen, so that they come discover the secrets kept within it.Although this material has been used in very few other buildings,

the development of the patina can be seen in the Laivez church by Architects Holler- Merano, which has already turned brown.

Apart from being a sound structural solution, the meeting of the three materials (masonry, glass and brass) is very symbolic of the

language of the building. The glass, flexible in sizes and adaptable, deals with both the old structure and the new cladding, thus acting very

similarly to the insitu concrete column, or indeed the archivist.

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The Meeting of the three materials

Each piece of cladding has a downward pointing seam. Underneath the seam are a series of small perforations that assure that the cladding won’t get condensation in it and that warm air trapped within will be able to escape, making the facade more responsive to temperature changes.

Glassframe at an angle to avoid water to get stagnant. This are remains glass to allow maximum light down into the exhibition space. Also, it warms up the concrete of the conservation lab, which can radiate that heat at 6 month intervals, thanks to its thikness.Because the frame of the glass is also brass material, there is no chemical rea-tion of the two materials meeting. As can be seen, the bottom piece of the cladding is custom made to form a gutter in conjunction with the glass frame, thus avoiding stagnant water, showers down into the public and unwanted crevices.

The glass frame, although it touches the old facade top, doesn’t rest on it, as it is instead attached to the concrete columns. The bottom brass frame of the glass panes has a slightly bigger gutter, which again will avoid showers of water onto the pedestrians, and will gide the water onto gutters, possibly the ones already attached to the old facades.

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Tectonics

131

Page Title


Here are the main problems to have dealt with when approaching the environmental strategy desgin for the building:

- Keeping the different conditions of the repository floors whilst aiming for a carbon zero design. These conditions are: very tightly and precisely controlled environment in the conservation lab, very flexible but controlled environment in the reading area and a very stable and controlled environment in the repository.- Providing natural light in the repository area to minimise lightning needs, without damag-ing the documents stored.- Keeping good environmental conditions for the archeological site and the objects in the exhibition space.- Dealing with the tightness of the site, which doesn’t allow for ventilation in large areas of the building.- Dealing with the light conditions of the site, with a lot of light on one side and very little in the centre and front.

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The environmental response to the site and program are in many ways similar to the strucutral and architectural decisions made throughout this project. The reposi-tory, as a valuable and sensitive area of the building, had to be isolated and com-partmented, whilst allowing natural light for circulation and some ventilation. The public areas seeked the most natural light, views and thermal flexibility. The third important point was that the archaeological ruins couldn’t really be kept at room temperature, as the volume of air around them is so big and difficult to control that it would make that area too heavily built.The decision therefore was to have a double skin building,in the middle layer of which the exhibition space would be, acting as a buffer. The archive would go off the ground, and completely isolated, but there would be an atrium to pump light through. The public areas would protect and surround the repository, and so ben-efitting from the street views and light. The building is therefore mainly driven by two aspects environmentally: its double skin, which creates a buffer area and reduces the volume of air to heat up, and the atrium, which creates the stack effect necessary to keep the public areas passive.This system, in which there is a mediating layer (the exhibition space and atrium) that works flexibly with two ventilation systems, as said has a lot to do with the previously spoken about architectural and structural decisions.

137

The Principles

The building acts like a fortress: there are controlled openings from the outside to a central, marketplace area. In this area there is the palace of the King, in our case the Repositoyr, to

which only a fesw can go.

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The building, as explained, is mainly divided in three areas: the exhibition space, the public spaces, adn the repository. Each of these areas has a specific requirement, which has to be met within the context of the site. The following diagrams aim at explaining clearly how each of those three parts fuilfills its programmatic targets with the minimum energy consumption.The factors that had to be taken into consideration when designing this building in this location were mainly three. First of all, the orientation of the building, which is straight North- South with the two main facades. Second of all, the adjacent buildings on the East and West sides of the building are very close to it, making cross ventilation in that direction virtually impossible, and light conditions naturally poor in the central area. The third and most important point is that there is an important discrepancy between the needs of the repository and the public areas: the former needs to be controlled 24h a day, whereas the public areas only have to be conditioned during opening hours.With this in mind, a few strategic deicisions were made from very early on in the design, so avoid-ing unpleasant surprises when developing a full strategy.

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Environmental Overview

As explained before, the lowest thermal control area is the exhibition space, which is however protected against harsh conditions. This enhances the feeling of primitiveness of the space, and makes a smooth transition between the Roman Baths Museum and the Archive. The next area is the Library and staff zones, which are naturally ventilated through the exhibition space and external openings.. finally, the repository, with its tight environmental requirements, uses both

natural and mechanical ventilation working in a mixed system for maximum control.

As explained before, the daytime and specific requirements of the public areas and the reposi-tory are very different, making it more effective to have two plantrooms both making use of the atrium and exhibition space in the middle for environmnetal control. The plantroom for the public areas is situated in the basement of the building, far from archaeological remains,

and connected to the ring foundation system, which then connects to the rest of the building through the concrete columns. This means that the whole of the public areas of the archive can be managed from one place. The repository plantroom is divided into three rooms, situated on top of each other, which gives independent control to each of the floors. The main services are

shared, but in case of failure, of one of the plantrooms the other two can keep functioning.

Three distinct areas of thremal control

North Facade Library, South Facade staff areas. Middle part exhibition space

The North Facade, withi its constant diffused light throughout the day, is the perfect spot for the library area, which also benefits from being close to the entrance. The overal consumption of electricity is taken down dramatically. This facade is glazed to allow maximum light in, but with no risk of over heating or glare. The south facade, with its big masonry wall and small windows, makes a perfect environment for work. There might be a bit of glare, experienced but it can be avoided by drawing the louvres closed on the windows and only letting light in through the rooflight. The middle area, cool and naturally dark, makes the perfect environment for archaeo-logical ruins. Also, the fact that the exhibition space is in the middle of the two public areas is extremely benefitial as it ensures good cross ventilation.

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SummerThe building opens up to the exhibition space. This encourages the difference in pressure needed for the stack ventilation effect to happen, and increases the flow of air within the building.

The Chestnut tree is deciduous, so in summer, when the leaves

grow back, it shades against unwanted solar gains.

The rooflights for the exhibi-tion space have ventilation ducts next to them that, combined with the pressure created in the building, suck in air in summer that then gets cooled down in the Exhibi-tion space

The Masonry facade works on a 6 month thermal cycle,

remaining cool in summer.

The cool air of the Exhibition space is picked up through grid-dles on the ground and dragged

up the concrete columns to cool down the rest of the building

As the cool air warms up due to height and oc-cupancy, it becomes more buoyant and rises through the atrium, getting expelled through the ventilation grid at the top.

Neutral Pressure

Level

The top Atrium glazing is UV protective, to protect the repository and to avoid overheat-ing.

The cool air brought up in the columns is expelled to the different floors through the window frame grid to cool the air

The curtain wall glass pieces are designed to allow some air

in and out without letting in rain or noise.

The open staircases allow for fresh air to come in from the exhibition space, which keeps

natural ventilation through the Library spaces.

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Summer- Winter Sections

WinterThe building opens to the outside for light and ventilation. The Roman Baths drainpipe is used to warm up air that is sent to the public areas of the building.

The Atrium allows diffused light into the repository cir-culation spaces, the Reading room and the Conservation Lab, which would otherwise remain dark and needs artificial lighting. In winter, normally windier

in Bath, the curtain wall would allow some air in, to keep natural ventilation ac-tive and avoid stuffiness.

In winter, the ventilation ducts on the basement go around the

Roman Baths drainpipe, which comes out at around 45ºC. The

warm air then gets pulled up through the concrete columns

and expelled to the library and staff areas.

The openings to the outside of the building are minimised, so that warm air stays within the

public areas.The chestnut tree is com-pletely leafless in winter, which brings light into the the staff area, saving in electricity and heating.

Because of the orientation and the tree, the PV pan-els on top of the staff area are used to the maximum, reducing even more daily electricity needs

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Detail1

The masonry facade in Abbey Green has the purpose of giving it thermal mass. This works

on two levels, as both environmentally and architecturally the Sout Facade is very low

key and traditional.

As mentioned previously, the rooflights at street level for the exhibition space have

ventilation intakes fitted in them to allow for air to come in summer and be cooled in the

exhibition space.

The North facade of the building is made out of a curtaing glass wall and a Skyframe© fitted glass wall with openable windows. This means

the facade has a double skin system, much more suitable for the orientation and use of

the spaces.

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The Outer Skin

Summer

As explained int he sections, the ventilation duct fitted on the rooflight sucks in warm air in summer due to the quicker dropping of pres-seure inside the building.. Because the exhibition space is so big, the warm air cools down while there. Separate ducts then pick up the cool air and take it through the ventilation pipes in the concrete columns to the public areas.

Winter

In winter the external pipes are not in use. Instead, the main ducting system picks up the warmth of the roman baths water and takes it up to the public areas. The intake of new air comes from the openings on the outside of the building and in the opening of the glazing, as we will see in the next page.

144


The concrete columns all around the public areas allow light and ventilation to go around

the building’s external skin, creating a buffer space that stays at a constant temperature all

year round.

The fact that both public areas are raised above the ground and have a ‘double roof ’

means they lose a lot less heat through those surfaces, making the intake of energy from oc-cupancy and passive solar a lot more effective.

The central exhibition space, as shown before, acts as a buffer space, and keeps a difference of pressure within the building which keeps natural ventilation working even if there is

none with the outside.

Detail 2

145

The Public Areas

Summer

The cool air that comes from the exhibition space in summer can be distributed around the public areas. With the manually controlled open-ings the user can control how warm the place should be, and the windows to the exhibition space provide with the necessary cross ventila-tion.

Winter

In winter the Roman Baths provide with warm air that is distributed to the user-intensive areas. Because of the timber flooring and ceiling, the warmth from the Roman Baths combined with the user occupancy should provide all the heat-ing needed, and if there is need for ventilation the manually controlled windows can be open without risk of cold air coming in.

146


The ventilation grid is fitted around the top glazing rather than within it, so that one single piece of glass can be used for allowing light in.

The brass cladding is placed well above the concrete building so that the vented air can

easily get out through the cladding on the sides. The glazing in the Atrium is UV protective, not

to run any risk of damage to documents

The fact that the repository is at the top of the building is very benefitial environmentally, as it gives the atrium the heigth it needs for the stack effect to work. Because this

area is mechanically ventilated, it doesn’t matter that it raises above the natural pressure level, as this will not affect the

user.

The conservation lab, the area of the building that requires the most environmental control, is strategically located at

the very heart of the building. This space requires very con-trolled light and minimum weather exposure. This area, shel-tered between the side buildings and protected from wind

and rain is perfect for it. In addition, the atrium provides good diffused light for this double height space, in which very sensitive conservation activities are carried through.

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The Repository

THE REPOSITORY

The needs of the repository are divided into three main areas. There is the conservation lab, with requires a very strict environmental con-trol, both to do with temperature, light and moisture. Then there is the reading room, which is essentially like part of the library. Then, at the top, is the repository, the permament store, the requirements of which are specified in the British Standards BS: 5454. Because of the vertical nature of the building, it makes sense to have compartmented floors, which helps in terms of security and fire control as well.

The Conservation Lab

Other than providing with natural North light and limited ventilation coming from the Atrium (refer to summer section), it is unavoidable to have a degree of mechanical ventilation in this space, to do with air cleanliness and very precise temperature.

The Reading Room

This area has natural ventilation from the Atrium openings (manual openings) and a very limited amount of mechanical ventilation in ex-treme conditions. As seen before, in this area the valuable books are kept in individually controlled book cabinets, thus not affecting the tempera-ture of the rest of the space. Because of its location though, the reading room is more likely to be cool than warm.

The Repository

The permanent storage area is an area of relative little needs. The air changes are as low as 4 per day for the whole of its volume and the tem-perature can swing between 21 and 28 degrees, allowing for a lot more flexibility in winter and summer. Because this area is more exposed it makes more sense not to keep the most valuable objects here. A natural balanced state is achieved through the thick concrete walls. Then there is the fact that there are no opening to the outside, which eliminates the risk of harsh conditions. Finally, the air that is eventually taken in to venti-late this area is taken from the atrium, which will keep a stable tempera-ture throughout the year.

The reading room book cabinets are an example of the compartmentali-sation that occurs al through the repository.

Regulations

Health and safety challenges of designing a modern building in a very old context, with cobblestones and narrow streets. Challenges of providing health ans safety reassurance in a relatively tall building with extensive front glazing.Health and safety issues to do with the Repository, fire hazard, access to and from it.Challeges of providing a secure way of accessing the exhibition area underground These were the most important issues to deal with in terms of health and safety.

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Regulations

This Archive building has been designed whenever possible to be as open to all sorts of visitors as any public building would.aim to be However, there are some restrictions im-posed on the site that have prevented certain areas of the building from being accessible to wheelchair users or visitors with severe disabilities.

The exceptions to be mentioned are first of all the exhibition areas at the bottom of the building. There is lift access, but the ground is made out of pressed soil, which could pose a problem to wheelchair users. the central exhibition space, with the ruins, would be hazardous and not advisable. At the same time, access to the Roman Baths Museum would not be possible due to the extreme irregularities in the paving.

The other floor of the building which would not be accesible for wheelchair users would be the staff area common roo m. It was considered that the percentage of staff members to work in the Archive building with severe diasbilities was small enough not to consider damaging the archaeological site with another lift shaft. The offices are still accesible through the liftshaft and across the conservation lab. The only limita-tion would be the common room with the kitchenette.

The main access to the building is level and not stepped to facilitate the entrance to all public. The café, although having a stepped access to Abbey Green, would be fitted with a ramp on the most level part on the side. All corridors and access areas are a minimum of 1400 mm, including the walkway to the café.

The liftshaft comunicates all areas of the building open to the public, including the repository on special visits.

The hollographic screens fitted in the library spaces can be used at a lower level without any restrictions.

Sanitary accommodation for people in wheelchairs is pro-vided in each floor of the Library, in the top staff area floor, and in the exhibition space. This provision is purposely made unisex, so that persons in wheelchairs can get aid by their partners.

VERTICAL CIRCULATION

Stairs to Staff zone

LIFTSHAFT

Main Staircase

Main emergency exit and stairs to repository

LIFTSHAFT

Main emergency exit and stairs to repository

Second Floor Plan

Fifth, Sixth and Seveth Floor Plans

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Part M: Access to and use of buildings

Deliveries

Maintaining good acces between the conservation lab, the exhibition spaces and the repository is a very important part of the design.The deliveries for the conservation lab are made through the main entrance in Kingston Parade, and taken up in the lift. The liftshaft and lift are oversized, not just for the public use of it, but for transportation of books, documents and even sculptures.There is no stepping in any area of the staff offices to allow for material to be moved about in book trolleys.All big material however, like new rolling stacks or storage systems would have to be carried up dismantled.On the other hand, the café kitchen has its own back door right next to Abbey green, so deliveries can be dropped off in the adjacent street .

HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION

MAIN ENTRANCE+ Delivery drop off point

ENTRANCE to the building through the café

Small ramp access to café terrace and building

Access to main exhibition space

ENTRANCE through the Ro-man Baths Museum

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Regulations

Because of the relatively small footprint of the site and the general characteristics of the public areas, the fire strategy for most of the building is straightforward, particularly when it comes to means of escape. The fire protection of the repository, however, has to be considered very carefully and explained fully.There are two main means of escape in the building: one through the main staircase core at the library, and the other on the site of the staff area. Both connect down straight into the street.

B1- Warning and Escape

Heat and smoke alarms fitted in all areas of the building. All areas situated under 20 meters to the nearest emergency exit. In Exhibition space there is alternative means of escape through the Roman Baths museum, within the 45 meters required. All landings in emergency staircase at library have a wheelchair refuge, with the possibility of a fire rescuing squad being able to come through one of the old facade windows.In staff area one refuge is provided in staff office level.All doors connecting to repository area are fire doors with a minimum of 60 minutes fire protection.Café kitchen directly connected to the street through a fire resistant door.Level exit access from Library and staff areas for people with disabilities..

B2- Internal Fire spread [Linings]

Four separate compartmentalised areas: the exhibition space, with exit shared with the Roman Baths Museum, the Library space, the staff area and the repository.Library, staff and exhibition areas to be fitted with sprinkler systems. In library, the risk coming from the double height space in fourth floor is mitigated by the installation of extra sprinklers on top of the stairs.Repository floors [5th, 6th and 7th floors] fitted with an oxygen depleting system to stop the spread of fire. All repository floors fitted with independent systems.Hand-held extinguishers provided in all areas of the building. In the repository, they will only be used in case of failure of oxygen reducing system.The roof lights in the exhibition space are fitted with fire resisting glass.The glass used in the repository floors is all triple glazed fire resistant.

B3- Internal fire spread- Structure

All of the exhibition space built in exposed insitu concrete and masonry, both good at keeping structurally sound in case of fire. In the Library and staff areas, the treated larch flooring and furnishing would charr for at least 15 minutes, giving the public time to escape.The concrete cores run uninterrupted down to the street, avoinding all risk of fire damage inside. Concrete wall panels in repository area deisgned to provide 4 hour fire protection, according to the BS:5454.

B4- External fire spread

Building is in isolation on site, apart from underground connection to the Roman Baths Museum.The three facades of the building surrounded by other structures are masonry structures.Glass facade not surrounded by any adjacent buildings closer than 10 meters, minimising risks.

B5- Access and facilities for fire rescue services

Access and parking to the building for fire brigade through Kingston Parade.Repository accessible only through fourth floor in Library. However, extra sprinklers are provided on that floor, and firefighter’s staircase goes up directly into repository.Firefighter lobby provided at all levels in main emergency staircase.Limited access to side streets, but this can be compensated by the use of cranes in Abbey Green and Kingston Parade.

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Part B: Fire Regulations

Vertical Emergency exit

Exit on to the street


Fire Resistant Glazing

4h Fire protection walls

Fire depleting system on walls

Fire Resistant Glazing


Exit on to the street

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Regulations

OCCUPATION

The sequence of occupation of the building will be:

- First the staff areas, which will be the part to be finished first.

- Then the basic services of the public are can be abilitated, whilst construction and sealing of repository goes on.

- The public areas become fuly functioning, as do some of the exhibition areas.

- Entrance from Roman Baths Museum and repository are officially open. The documents in the repository will the

placed sequencially, from least valuable to most valuable, whilst the building gains the temperature it needs to remain

stable.

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Construction Design Management

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG

Risk: Area of archaeological interest, but already sur-veyed and reinforced structurally.Manage: Protect the soil and remains with sand bags and remove all valuable items (To be stored in Roman Baths Museum storage facility).

The whole underground area will be uncovered and surveyed before start of build.Risk: Very damaged existing structures that could make it unfeasable to keep

some of the existing facade.Manage: Where possible, reinforcing of the exiting structure by securing the foun-dation, injecting concrete on to the masonry or placing additional concrete walls

attached.

MAIN SITE ENTRANCE

Main site perimeter and fencing. Access on side streets limited to neighbours. Acces to Kingston Parade from South side of York street forbidden until the end of the build. Access to North side of York street limited to business owners and neighbours.

Area of bigger construction activity(refer to construction process)

Risk: Damage or collapse during demollition of internal walls.Manage: appropriate scaffolding fitted on site before the start of the work and only removed when the existing structure has been reinforced on the inside.

CONSTRUCTIONRisks: Failure of the false ceiling in Kingston

parade due to stress and weight. Manage: Slight slower building process.Insitu concrete members first, then pro-grammed timetable of arrival of precast concrete pieces to avoid over using the

track.

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Regulations

159

Use and Maintenance

Maintenance of brass cladding. Self cleaning and minimum mainte-nance material.However pieces can fall off eventually. Access to the roof

through trap door in the staircase core.

The curtain wall in the is made out of self cleaning glass, so rain should enough to keep it clean. However, twice a year a main-

tencance check will be done on the glass pieces and sealing, and cleaning of the facade wil be carried out

The internal glass can be cleaned easily. The sky frame has a small swinging device. Every time the windows need cleaning or the holographic

monitors checking, the frame can be ‘opened’. Also, fairly constant clean-ing should be carried out on the glass used for the hollographic screens,

particularly in the workshop level, where kids spend more time on.

The plantroom in the basement has a low risk of flooding. Although this is not desirable, it would not stop the functioning of the reposi-

tory. The Archive could be closed to the public

Every average of 10 years the old masonry facade will have to be cleaned. This can be carried out on the outside of the building

using tracitional scaffolding.

For the maintenance of the PV panels in the staff area , again a small trap door has been fitted on the ceiling of the stairce to allow acces

Conclusion

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Chapter Title

Strenghts of the Work presented

I think the strength of this project lies in the rootedness of the brief into the site. The chioce of site was very appropriate for the type of building I wanted to design, and I thi nk it has given it the texture and character that I wanted to imbue in it. The sequence of spaces to the REading Room is mostly successful, and the inter-nal visuals are able to show it at its best. The relationship between the old and new parts of the building, although not perfectly smooth, are fairly successful in bringing together two different ways of doing architecture.The research process was thoroughly enjoyable as it shows on the numerous precedent. This, I think, gives it quite a lot of richness, as it connects it other architectures, other ideas, and completes the wholes that my building isn’t able to fill.Overall, the building can be praised for its thinking, its intelectual capacity, and for its puzzle-like character, which has somehoew managed to come together.

Weaknesses Evident

I think the weaknesses in this project come form exactly the same place as its virtues. The site, complex and interesting, was a night-mare to design, both architecturally, structurally and environmen-tally. So many variables became confusing and almost too much, even if the outcome was in the end quite satisfactory. The structure of the building, the making, could have been a lot more explained and enhanced, just like some of the best traits of the environmental strategy are not explained enough. The building seems to lack a tranquility that other projects have achieved, and this comes precisely from the variety of challenges, issueas and opportunities to do with the site.Of course, I feel that given more time the project would have been a lot better, but actually, it might not have made that much pf a difference. Its best and its worst parts are engrained into what it is, and that it why it encites both love and hatred amongst those who have seen it.

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Page Title

Learning Outcomes, reflection on performance and summary of the experienceHow the design could have evolved given more time.Obvious weaknesses of the design. Areas that should have been im-proved.Refer to the idea of design by taking out, not putting in

Conclusion

This project is meant to prepresent us, what we have learnt and where we got at. Looking back now I see some of the same mistakes done in other years, and a sense that certain things about how I design will not change. However, this project has offered me the opportunity to open my head to new possibilities, to discover new things and to learn.I wish I had done more, and being self-critical, time management is still one of my biggest problems. However, and unlike other times, I dont look at this project in bitterness, but rather with pride, with the sense that it has taken the best out of me, not the worst, and with the feeling that the learning curve this past year has been pretty much a vertical line.All the ideals about Architecture that I wanted to tap into have been studied and the result, although a bit clunky, is overall, quite fine. I hope the Brochure conveys the work and ideas of the past 5 months, and that it represents me, Bath and the University as a whole.

2011 Final Degree Project- CIty of Bath Archive

Documents

place bath

city state

bath central library

sort of paper museum

real place

citys memory

particular building

public building