On Dec. 11, the University of Bristol, one of the United Kingdom's Top 10 universities (according to the QS World University Rankings' 2018 rankings), announced that a team of Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, British firm Hawkins\Brown, and international engineering consultancy BuroHappold Engineering (which is also the structural engineer behind the recently opened Louvre Abu Dhabi's double dome), will design a new library for the university's Clifton campus revitalization project. The construction is set to begin in the summer of 2019 and is expected to be completed by 2021.
The international design competition was launched in April with a design brief calling for a context-oriented, contemporary design. The participants were asked to take sustainability into consideration and were encouraged to design a building that would both become a campus landmark and house student activities. The winning team was selected from five shortlisted teams, a list that also included Snøhetta, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.
"This building will be a beacon of knowledge and it will play a vital part in the life and experience of the University of Bristol and the city of Bristol itself," said Schmidt Hammer Lassen founding partner Morten Schmidt, Intl. Assoc. AIA, in a press release. "It will be a sustainable, contemporary, welcoming, and fun place to be—while remaining in harmony with the rich traditions and history of its surroundings."
"We are delighted to be partnering with Schmidt Hammer Lassen and BuroHappold to design this exciting new library project," said Hawkins\Brown partner Adam Cossey in the same release. "The library has the potential to have a catalytic effect on the university's wider plan to revitalize the Clifton Campus, with public elements that will provide a space for knowledge and social exchange between the university community and the wider public."
As the next step, the team will begin consulting the prospective users, the general public, and other stakeholders involved to develop the design. The completed proposal will then be submitted to the Bristol City Council for approval.