How we are restoring a central part of Oldham’s heritage for the community to once again enjoy
Phil Shaw, Managing Director Building North at Tilbury Douglas, discusses how we are restoring and future proofing Oldham’s Old Library so that it can once again become a central part of the community.
With extensive experience in this field, last year we started the major refurbishment of the Grade II listed Oldham Old Library. The work will protect and preserve the Union Street building, ready for bringing it back into public use.
The Grade II listed building was originally constructed in 1883 to provide a free public library for the residents of Oldham. Soon after opening it was also extended to provide additional lecture theatre and gallery space to meet the requirements of the growing town. However, in the last decade there have been limitations on how the building could be used, and in 2017 all public access finally came to an end.
Bringing the building back to use will mean that the local community can utilise the site as a new civic hub. The top floor will be home to the council chamber and a new gallery There will be offices and meeting rooms on the first floor, whilst the ground floor will be available for the public to experience the historic spaces, with artworks showcased by Gallery Oldham, which is already linked to the building and a new home for Oldham Theatre Workshop
To preserve and celebrate the history and grandeur of the building, we are working with traditional tradespeople to ensure we record all the original elements and restore them where we can, whilst incorporating modern technologies to future proof the site for the long term.
Stage one: repairing the building’s envelope
The scheme was initially focused on the building’s envelope to prevent further deterioration. Built in the 1880s in two parts, the ‘newer’ roof has been replaced with a pitched roof made of zinc to match the profile of the adjacent original roofs The remaining tiled roofs have been removed, repairs made to the existing timbers and the original tiles re-laid on new insulation to bring the building up to modern standards.
Specialist heritage contractors replaced all the glass roof panels to also bring these up to current standards, which will help improve installation and sustainability credentials.
In keeping with Oldham’s weather and given its position on top of a hill, all of this work was completed in phases to help keep the site weather secure.
Future proofing
The project includes high levels of demolition and structural work to future proof the building and ensure there are useable spaces to enable it to work well as a new civic and cultural hub. This included introducing large sections of steel to open up small spaces to make them suitable for modern use whilst maintaining the building’s heritage.
The Old Library was one of the first buildings in the country to be built using a concrete frame, which has stood the test of time and remained in place since 1886. This has created some challenges to work with, but we are preserving as much of this as we can.
Additional internal works will see the ornate and detailed grand ceilings restored to their original specification. The existing plaster on the intricate mouldings and cornices will also be reinstated. This has been done using squeezes, which is a way of capturing the existing profile, so we can replace what was not salvageable with identical, modern materials.
Restoring the façade
Externally, the façade has been repaired and cleaned using specialist treatments. This has required a lot of temporary works on the project – scaffolding has been put up all the way around the outside and then fully sheeted to protect the passing public.
Sympathetic stone repairs have been carried out on a schedule to align with the budget. This has meant a focus on the more important areas of repairs to ensure safety followed by aesthetic needs. Using a technique called Doffing, all the stone has been steam cleaned in a sensitive way to reveal an impressive external transformation.
At the same time, a heritage contractor has carefully refurbished all the original windows whilst bringing them up to modern standards with double glazed units, which will help make the internal environment more comfortable for modern use whilst maintaining the heritage style and features.
The original clerestory windows were completely restored too. This process involved dismantling each one, taking a rubbing of each individual stain glass window, cleaning each competent and then putting it all back together with new lead work. The ornate head statues on the side of the building have also been repaired and cleaned carefully.
Community first
Being able to transform such an historic and important site into a new cultural hub, which will add so much to the local community, is a real honour for the team working on this scheme. This is why we are focusing on giving back to the local community.
The Tilbury Douglas team has been using their ‘Give a Day of Your Time’ working alongside Oldham Council clearing green spaces of litter and overgrowth for the local community to enjoy. To date, £3,300 has been donated to sponsor Oldham Business Awards and the Christmas Toy Appeal, as well as £2,300 in donations in kind to the Trussell Trust food bank, Working Wardrobe Appeal and the site’s Wall of Kindness. The wall allows people to leave items that others might find helpful – such as sleeping bags, clothing and toiletries.
The project is also offering apprentice and work experience opportunities for specialist trades including stone restoration, timber repairs, lead working, roofing and zinc cladding.
Another example of social value is the team delivering careers fairs and guest lectures to Oldham College students, with similar initiatives planned over the next 18 months. We have also worked with St Mary’s primary school on a safety poster competition and a time capsule burial on site.
University Campus Oldham photography students have been using the project as a practical learning tool to support their theoretical studies, whilst keeping the public informed of the project’s progress with quarterly photography competitions.
In addition, we also have a focus on mental health and wellbeing with nearly 75 hours spent on this and more initiatives planned over the next few months.
The team’s tremendous effort to respect the community, care for the environment and value the workforce has been recognised with a top Considerate Constructors score of 45/45.