Churchill College governing body approves plans for a new archives centre

Churchill College has announced plans for a new Archives Centre building within college grounds.

In the new building, the college hopes to create a “student hub” which will improve library resources and offer more social spaces.

The announcement comes following a college council meeting on Friday 30th January.

The current plans are subject to sufficient funding and agreement on its placement within the grounds. However, a provisional map sent to students suggests that construction will take place near the college chapel.

Director Allen Packwood announced funding will be sought from “sources that would be unavailable to the College for other purposes”.

The aim is that the construction of the new building will not divert from the college’s existing funds.

The new premises will allow for the expansion of the existing Churchill Archives collection. The collection includes the papers of British politicians such as Gordon Brown, Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill.

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Packwood has welcomed views from current Churchill students on the plans in an email sent out on 30th January.

Margaret Thatcher’s handbag in the Churchill Archives Centre

Accessibility has also been citied as a priority during the design and construction of the new premises. Despite initial plans to expand the existing building, the Centre has settled on an entirely new construction to maximise accessibility.

The architecture firm Architype has drawn up two provisional designs with different configurations. Both of these feature dark wooden cladding.

Since its opening in 1973, the Churchill Archives Centre has expanded exponentially and featured on UNESCO’S International Memory of the World Register in 2015. The centre will require an extra 500 cubic of additional storage space.

Although plans are still in the early stages, the college community has received the potential expansion of the Archives Centre positively. The new premises will certainly make an impact on the college’s existing architecture and reputation within the city.

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