Warburg Renaissance building work
The £14.5m Warburg Renaissance project began on 4 July 2022 and is scheduled to last until Spring 2024. The building is being refurbished in three phases and a 2-storey new build extension is being constructed in the courtyard.
Care has been taken to make sure that the majority of the collections remain accessible throughout the works:
- The library's 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
What's happening this week?
What's happening: 18 - 22 September
Noisy works Wednesday-Friday
There is intense demolition work taking place on the ground floor this week. In order to get the work done quickly, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we are suspending the usual "noisy work" limits and demolition will take place all day.
We very much apologise for the noise and inconvenience. The hope is that condensing the demolition work into a few days rather than drawing it out over weeks will ultimately benefit our readers.
For those willing to brave the drills, free earplugs can be picked up from our reception area on the 1st floor.
Access to the Institute is now via the Slade School of Fine Art next door. Come up to the 1st floor to access the Institute and Library.
Floors 1 to 4 of the Library are open and all books are available (apart from the periodicals, which remain in storage). Reference works from the ground floor Reading Room (RR) have been moved to the 4th floor.
We apologise that not everything is ready for use on floors 1 and 2. You may find builders still at work on both floors.
Access to the Institute
Temporary new entrance from September 2023
During the final phase of the Warburg Renaissance project beginning in September 2023, the ground floor and basement will be closed for refurbishment.
Consequently, from Tuesday 19 September there will be no access to the Institute through the existing front doors.
Access will be via the Slade School of Fine Art next door.
The pavement walkway at the front of the Warburg will be closed at all times of the day until the completion of the project in Spring 2024.
The Institute can only be accessed through the Slade via the 1st floor. Please come up to the 1st floor where you will find the Library Enquiries desks, lockers and access to the rest of the building.
Phase 3 opening hours
Due to the changes in access to the building, the Institute will not be able to open on Saturdays during Phase 3. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
INSTITUTE AND LIBRARY OPENING HOURS OVER THE COMING MONTHS:
1 August - 24 September (Summer opening hours): Monday - Friday 10.00 - 18.00
25 September - Spring 2024 (Phase 3): Monday - Thursday 10.00 - 20.00; Friday 10.00 - 18.00
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.
Project updates
Project updates
Read our project updates on the progress of the Warburg Renaissance works, which mark the milestones of this 18 month project.
Building work and collection moves schedule
Decant / April-June 2022
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.
Phase 1 / July 2022-February 2023: Floors 4 & 3 closed
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.
Decant / March 2023
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
Phase 2 / March-August 2023: Floors 2 & 1 closed
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
Decant / August-September 2023
Image (K, C & CR classmarks) will be inaccessible between 14-22 August while it is packed and moved back to the 1st floor
Word (E & N classmarks) will be inaccessible between 23-25 August while it is packed and moved back to the 2nd floor
Reading Room reference works (RR classmarks) are likely to inaccessible on 29 August while they are moved to the 4th floor
Phase 3 / September 2023-March 2024: Ground and Lower Ground floors closed
The 1st and 2nd floors reopen after refurbishment. The Ground and Lower Ground floors close for building works.
As the ground floor is closed, access to the Institute is via the Slade School of Fine Art next door and the Library enquiries area is on the 1st floor.
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
Reading Room reference works (RR classmarks) are available for us on the 4th floor
Periodicals (P classmarks) remain in storage off-site and are not accessible
Final decant / March-April 2024
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.
Archive
The Archive 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. Visitors can consult Archive material in Stewart House, a five minute walk from the Warburg Institute.
Please email warburg.archive@sas.ac.uk to organise your visit.
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 is closed during Phase 3 of the building works, from September 2023 - March 2024. During this time, Reading Room reference works are accessible on the 4th floor.
The Reading Room enquiries desks have been moved to the 1st floor for the final phase, along with the reserve shelves and copying/printing facilities. You can find the new acquisitions table on the 2nd floor and the new periodicals are at the very end of the Action on the 4th floor.
1st floor
Image: Ancient Art & Archaeology (K), Art History (C)
The 1st floor was refurbished during Phase 2 of the project (March-August 2023).
All K, C and CR books have been returned to the refurbished 1st floor and are fully available there.
2nd floor
Word: Language & Literature (E), Transmission of Classical Texts (N)
The 2nd floor was refurbished during Phase 2 of the project (March-August 2023).
Word books have been returned to the refurbished 2nd floor. Unfortunately, we have realised that a section of NAH was missed during the moves, so we will have to shunt all the books along to fit these in. We apologise for the delays this will cause in making the books fully accessible.
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.
