The Open House Festival is the chance to see places not normally open to the public. It used to be over a single weekend in September but now spreads over a longer period.
One of the places I visited this year was the Archive Library at the Royal Academy on Piccadilly in London. I’ve been here before but this time it included a talk by the librarian about the history of the building as well as some of the rare books held there.
Relocated in the 1980s and redesigned by RA member Henry Thomas (H.T.) Cadbury-Brown, it feels like a sanctuary – a place I can imagine myself happily spending hours in.
Clever details include the use of mirrors below the mezzanine floor, making it almost invisible.
A mirrored corner behind the chair disguises storage.
As you can see below, the finished design is remarkably close to the original sketch from 1984. The stairs leading to the mezzanine are concealed in the false screen behind the statue: the colour is similar though the sculpture is different.
Whilst in the library I spotted this photo of women washing the main staircase – it is, I think, from the 1950’s or 60’s. That skirt on the left looks way too elegant for cleaning.
