Carmen Downing - The Nook at St Aldate's

CONCEPT

CAN A CHURCH BE MORE THAN A CHURCH?

For this project I looked toward the organic forms & designs of architects such as Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Santiago Caltrava and more for inspiration. I finally settled on creating a shape that was able to work with filtering the light from the aisle windows through my site, creating a transparent atmosphere, where both functions - library and church - are separate but together, barely touching.

I took inspiration from the filtering effects of stained glass and confession boxes, and combined them with the organic forms found in nature. I also decided to play with the existing asymmetry of the church, rather than working against it.

I want to use materials such as ply, concrete, and tile within my organic structure that compliment the materials found in the existing church.This will be used throughout my remodel to create a sense of continuity and uniformity as the user walks down the length of the Nave.

CHANCEL & NAVE

The space available to the church has been greatly reduced to make way for the library, but what remains is a large restored open chancel with views down the length of the nave to the tower showcasing both the spaces of worship & study.

CHANCEL & NAVE

The space available to the church has been greatly reduced to make way for the library, but what remains is a large restored open chancel with views down the length of the nave to the tower showcasing both the spaces of worship & study.

GROUND FLOOR LIBRARY SHOP

As the main entrance to the library, and a secondary entrance to the church, the shop must be an open welcome to those visiting St Aldate’s.The shop will contain items related to the Bodleian & Oxford, much like the shop in the Bod’s Weston Library.

FIRST FLOOR LIBRARY STUDY SPACE

This area is designed for studying manuscripts, artefacts & books provided by the Bodleian. It contains 18 study spaces, each with their own lamp. Lining the walls are paintings on loan from the university and nearby museum collections.

FIRST FLOOR BRIDGE & VIEWING SPOT

Bridging the gap between the two first floor study spaces, this viewpoint offers sightlines straight from the tower down the nave to the altar and chancel. It allows for the user to view the organic structural forms of the library.

FIRST FLOOR LIBRARY SPACE

This area primarily contains lounging spaces for readers to examine Bodleian books. Situated to the north of the church, the space doesn’t receive much natural light, hence the addition of skylights along the south sides of the roof peaks.

SECOND FLOOR LIBRARY SPACE

The second floor contains a welcome mix of both lounge & study spaces. It also features access to the tower, in which visitors are able to view the bell of St Aldate’s Church whilst also having a uncompromised view of the length of the church.

ST ALDATE'S CHURCH ILLUSTRATION