Linen Hall Library

The Linen Hall Library in Belfast was founded in 1788 and is the oldest library in Belfast and the only remaining library in Ireland which generates a proportion of its member from membership. It is mostly housed in the grade B+ listed Victorian former linen warehouse (1864) which faces over Donegall Square towards Belfast City Hall.

Whilst with Hall Black Douglas Architects in Belfast, Bob was the lead architect to work on a competition proposal to combine the existing library with the upper stories of the 1888 No. 48-50 Fountain Street - this entailed a complex stair arrangement with a frameless glazed façade, linked around a central support reinforced concrete spine wall. New storage, reading rooms and conference facilities were added within the existing buildings.

Bob was the architect who led the scheme forward to a successful planning and Listed Building consent under the HBD Director in charge - Stephen Douglas - and included extensive consultation with the Local Authority due the listed nature of the existing buildings.