Staffordshire History Centre
Staffordshire History Centre
Alongside Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects, we worked as structural engineers to create a new 3000m2, £8.7m centre on Eastgate Street in Stafford that holds historical records and collections up to 1000 years old. The Staffordshire History Centre combines the collections of Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service; the County Museum; and the Grade II* listed William Salt Library.
The work involved the refurbishment of the William Salt Library building, a Georgian house with a Victorian extension that had suffered from historic movement and timber decay. Additionally, we advised on the construction of new archival strong rooms to provide storage for 55 years of future collections. A glazed link between the library and the record office and search rooms is constructed in a Glulam frame with a CLT roof and has created a new entrance and permanent exhibition space.
The scheme – part funded with a £4.8m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant - helped to provide a rejuvenated service which combining the existing Records Office building and William Salt Library, in Stafford and aids a county-wide programme of outreach activities for schools, families, community groups and the public.
Client: Staffordshire County Council
Architect: Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects
Photos: Courtesy of NLHF
WATCH Joanna Terry, Head of Archives and Heritage at Staffordshire History Centre, announces its opening in November 2024