Warburg Renaissance building work

An architectural cross-section by Haworth Tompkins depicting the possible design of the Warburg Institute

The £14.5m Warburg Renaissance project will transform our much-loved but long-neglected building by restoring its original vision and making it ready for future generations. The project will enhance the Institute's academic resources, teaching spaces and public offerings, and create new facilities for special collections, exhibitions and events.

Building work began on 4 July 2022 and is scheduled to last for 18 months. The building will be refurbished in three phases and a 2-storey new build extension will be constructed in the courtyard.

You can use this page to keep up to date with the progress of the work and how this affects the location of our collections. Care has been taken to make sure that the majority of the collections will remain accessible throughout the works:

All library books remain on-site.
Special collections (the Archive, Photographic Collection and the library's rare books) have been moved to Stewart House, a five-minute walk from the Institute.
Bound periodicals are unfortunately off-site and inaccessible.

Project updates

Read our project updates on the progress of the Warburg Renaissance works, which mark the milestones of this 18 month project.

What's happening this week?

What's happening: 29 May - 4 June

The Institute is closed from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May for the bank holiday weekend. Meanwhile drainage works will be taking place in the courtyard.

This will be a busy week, with many tasks reaching a conclusion. Scaffolding removal should be completed by Friday 2nd June. De-snagging on the 3rd and 4th floors will run past the Bank Holiday but should also be finished by 2nd June.

In the courtyard, the staging for the construction of the concrete slab to form the ground floor will also be in place by Friday.

Noisy works

Noisy works timetable

Noisy works during the construction period will be in accordance with the times below. At 10am and 2pm a handbell is rung in all work areas to signify the end of the unrestricted period.

08.00 - 10.00: Unrestricted noisy works

10.00 - 12.00: Noise from construction site to be less than 45dB within all areas of the building still occupied by the Warburg (i.e., typical library noise conditions)

12.00 - 14.00: Unrestricted noisy works

14.00 - 18.00: Noise from construction site to be less than 45dB within all areas of the building still occupied by the Warburg (i.e., typical library noise conditions)

There are also a number of 'Quiet Days' agreed in advance when no noisy works will take place. These will be for events, exams etc.

4 - 22 April 2022: Periodicals (P classmarks; Basement) are moved off-site and remain inaccessible for the duration of the project.

25 April - 8 May 2022: The Photographic Collection is not accessible while it is packed and moved to nearby Stewart House.

9 - 19 May 2022: Orientation (B, G, A & F classmarks; 3rd & 4th floors) is moved to the Basement and will be inaccessible while it is packed and moved within the building. From 19 May, these books will be available in the Basement mobile stacks.

16 May - 1 July 2022: The Archive is not accessible while it is packed and moved to nearby Stewart House. After 2 July, visitors will be able to consult the Archive in Stewart House by appointment.

6 June - 10 June 2022: Action (D & H classmarks; 4th floor) is moved to the 1st floor space vacated by the Photographic Collection and will be inaccessible while it is packed and moved within the building. Access will be restored on the 1st floor.

10 - 15 June 2022: The Library's rare books and manuscripts will be unavailable while they are packed and moved to Stewart House. After 16 June, special collections will be accessible by appointment at Stewart House.

Floors 4 and 3 are closed for refurbishment

Visitors can consult Archive and Photographic Collection material at the University of London's Stewart House throughout the building works

Action (D & H classmarks) is accessible on the 1st floor

Orientation (B, G, A & F classmarks) is accessible in the Basement

Word (E & N classmarks) is available for use on the 2nd floor

Image is available for use on the 1st floor (C classmarks) and Basement (K & CR classmarks)

Periodicals (P classmarks) remain in off-site storage and are not accessible

The rest of the Library collections remain in place.

Orientation (classmarks B, G, F & A) is returned to the refurbished 3rd floor and will be inaccessible for approximately one week while it is packed and moved (6 - 15 March 2023)

Word (E & N classmarks; 2nd floor) is moved to the Basement and will be inaccessible for approximately three days while it is packed and moved (9 - 17 March 2023)

Image (C classmarks; 1st floor) is moved to various locations on the 4th floor and in the Basement and will be inaccessible for approximately four days while it is packed and moved (20 - 24 March 2023). K and CR classmarks remain in place in the basement.

Action (classmarks D &H) is returned to the refurbished 4th floor and will be inaccessible for approximately three days while it is packed and moved (27 - 29 March 2023)

Periodicals (P classmarks) remain in storage off-site and are not accessible

The 3rd and 4th floors reopen after refurbishment; the 1st and 2nd floors close for building works

Visitors can consult Archive and Photographic Collection material at the University of London's Stewart House throughout the building works

Action (D & H classmarks) is available for use on the refurbished 4th floor

Orientation (B, G, A & F classmarks) is available for use on the refurbished 3rd floor

Word (E & N classmarks) is available for use in the Basement

Image is split between various locations within the Institute. Classmarks K, CN, CB, CD, CFM, CM, CE, CG and CR are all available in the basement. Classmarks CF, C-H, CI, CA and CP, and all Extra Large Size and Large Size books are available on the 4th floor.

Periodicals (P classmarks) remain in storage off-site and are not accessible

Word (E & N classmarks) will be briefly inaccessible while it is packed and moved back to the 2nd floor (dates to be confirmed)

Image (K, C & CR classmarks) will be briefly inaccessible while it is packed and moved back to the 1st floor (dates tbc)

Reading Room reference works (RR classmarks) are likely to be moved to off-site storage and, if so, will inaccessible until March 2024 (dates tbc)

The 1st and 2nd floors reopen after refurbishment. The Ground and Lower Ground floors close for building works.

Visitors can consult Archive and Photographic Collection material at the University of London's Stewart House throughout the building works

Action (D & H classmarks) is available for use on the refurbished 4th floor

Orientation (B, G, A & F classmarks) is available for use on the refurbished 3rd floor

Word (E & N classmarks) is available for use on the refurbished 2nd floor

Image (K, C & CR classmarks) is available for use on the refurbished 1st floor

Periodicals (P classmarks) and Reading Room reference works (RR classmarks) remain in storage off-site and are not accessible

The project is completed

Periodicals and Special Collections (the Archive, Photographic Collection and the Library's rare books collection) are returned to the refurbished Lower Ground floor

Reading Room reference works (RR classmarks) are returned to the newly refurbished ground floor Reading Room

Special Collections

Special Collections

The Institute’s Special Collections – the Archive, Photographic Collection and the Library’s rare books and manuscripts – have been moved to the University of London’s Stewart House at 32 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5DN. Stewart House is a five minute walk from the Institute.

Material from the Archive and the Library's Special Collections are available for consultation by appointment only until the end of the building project in December 2023.

Walk-in visitors are welcome in the Photographic Collection and there is no need to make an appointment in advance.

Photographic Collection

The Photographic Collection has now moved to its temporary new home in Stewart House (32 Russell Square, WC1B 5DN), where it will remain until the end of the building works in February 2024. There is no need to make an appointment to use the collection.

Library rare books and manuscripts

The Library's special collections have been moved to their temporary new home in Stewart House (32 Russell Square, WC1B 5DN).

Please ask at the Reading Room enquiries desk or email warburg.library@sas.ac.uk if you would like to consult items designated as Warburg Rare Books/Apply to staff on the library catalogue. Special collections materials is not available on Saturdays as Stewart House is closed. We may require up to 24 hours warning in order to provide access to rare books and manuscripts either in the Institute or in the Stewart House Reading Room.

Basement

Periodicals

The Library’s periodicals (P classmarks) have been moved off-site from 4 April 2022 and will be inaccessible throughout the works. We apologise for the inconvenience this causes.

Check our the library catalogue and Periodicals List or to see which of our periodicals are available online either from the Warburg Institute or as open access journals.

All readers with a valid Warburg Library card can access JSTOR by logging in through our Online Resources and Databases page. Click on the JSTOR link and, when prompted, enter your name and the barcode number on the back of your Warburg Library card.

The Reading Room

Reading Room reference works

The ground floor Reading Room will be closed during Phase 3 of the building works, from August 2023 - February 2024. During this time, Reading Room reference works may be inaccessible, as it might be necessary to store them off-site.

1st floor

Image: Ancient Art & Archaeology (K), Art History (C), Modern Art (CR)

All Image books remain on site, despite the closure of the 1st floor during Phase 2 of the building works (March - August 2023).

Unfortunately, it has been necessary to split Art History books into different locations within the building. Classmarks K, CO, CK, CC, CH, CL, CN, CB, CD, CFM, CM, CE, CG and CR are available in the basement.

Classmarks CF, C-H, CI, CA and CP, and all Extra Large Size and Large Size books are available on the fourth floor.

Please see signage in the library for details or ask library staff for help if you can't find what you're looking for.

When Phase 2 is complete in August 2023, all Image books will be moved to the 1st floor.

2nd floor

Word: Language & Literature (E), Transmission of Classical Texts (N)

The 2nd floor is closed during Phase 2 of the building works, from March to August 2023.

During this time, E and N classmarks from the 2nd floor are available in the Basement mobile shelving.

When Phase 2 is complete in August 2023, E and N classmarks will be returned to the 2nd floor.

3rd floor

Orientation: Western Religions (B), Eastern Religions (G), Magic & Science (F), Philosophy (A)

The 3rd floor was refurbished during Phase 1 of the Warburg Renaissance building project (July 2022-February 2023).

Orientation books have now been returned to their permanent home on the 3rd floor and are fully available for use.

4th floor

Action: Society & Culture (D), History (H)

The 4th floor was refurbished during Phase 1 of the Warburg Renaissance building project (July 2022-February 2023).

Action books have now been returned to their permanent home on the 4th floor and are fully available for use.