Summer building work in the Philip Robinson Library
Work will be taking place over the summer to refurbish Level 1 of the Philip Robinson Library.
22 May 2026
User Experience (UX) and headcount data shows it is one of the most popular spaces in the library, but it is dated, the teaching clusters are too small to handle the group sizes we teach, and there is no accessible toilet provision.
Over the summer we plan to:
- Open the space on Level 1, creating a larger collaborative study area, providing additional collaborative furniture and individual work areas for students, including enhanced group study rooms.
- Introduce a 48-person capacity PC cluster, creating one consolidated, modern cluster with ergonomic furniture, collaborative zones, and advanced technology. Flexible layouts and digital tools will enable innovative teaching methods.
- Refurbish Room 152 to create a 32-capacity teaching/activity space with new Audio-Visual Equipment.
- With an eye on sustainability, reuse some of the existing furniture and add additional collaborative and single study space furniture within the newly created space.
- Enhance toilet provision including the addition of accessible amenities.
These changes will provide several benefits including a more comfortable, inclusive and modern environment aligned with student expectations, expanded collaborative and individual study areas will cater to diverse learning styles, and the inclusion of accessible toilet facilities ensures the space is inclusive for all users. The refurbishment builds on an already well-used area, and will transform it into a modern, future-ready facility.
Work will take place from 1 June and will last throughout the summer. We understand that this will impact on studying in the library, and alternative spaces are available in the nearby Marjorie Robinson Library Rooms, the Walton Library and other study spaces on campus.