Library Photo Competition Prize Winners

By David Stacey Faculty Librarian for Engineering & Design

Demand for enhanced Library study space has led to a series of refurbishment projects planned in collaboration with the Student’s Union. Various surveys have pointed to the particular need for improved group study space and we have been able to take advantage of an old staff office being vacated on Level 3 of the Library (L3.16). This space is a prime candidate for the Engineering & Design floor’s first dedicated group workroom, paid for with Alumni funds.

Early plans for this room involved the addition of group study “Synergy Quad” tables with plasma display screens, two of the highly popular Eames chairs, floor-to-ceiling magnetic coloured glass boards and wall-size images printed on vinyl wallpaper. The latter idea was partly inspired by the visual uplift to the adjacent 1W. The redesign is intended to provide a high-quality collaborative environment, with connectivity, display equipment, space for discussion and brainstorming.

Students in ACE were invited to submit a single, striking photograph for the inner wall space visible through the doorway. This wall is 1975mm wide by 2615mm high. The prize on offer was a Taschen book, to be selected by the winner(s). Over 50 photos were submitted during the first three weeks of March 2016. The Library’s Senior Managers with advice from Matthew Wickens whittled the entrants down to a shortlist from which the final image for the wall was chosen by our University Librarian, Kate Robinson. The other two shortlisted entrants also received a prize for their submissions.

The prize winners are:

Overall winner: Jian Yong “JY” Khoo (Image: British Museum)

2nd Prize: Sofia Valentini (Image: Brick Columns)

3rd Prize: James Wright (Image: “Grand Hotel”, Lopud, Croatia)

The refurbishment of L3.16 will take place over the Summer and we look forward to your feedback on our newly designed learning space. We hope the look and feel of the room will be conducive to study and offer something markedly different to what has come before. Finally, my thanks again to all of you who took the time to submit a photo and who engaged with the various surveys which have looked at learning spaces on campus and in the Library.