{"id":911146,"date":"2026-04-22T13:17:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/911146\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:17:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:17:34","slug":"thing-converts-historic-cornish-library-into-the-ladder-arts-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/911146\/","title":{"rendered":"Thing converts historic Cornish library into The Ladder arts space"},"content":{"rendered":"

UK architecture studio Thing has transformed a former library<\/a> in Cornwall<\/a> into an arts and cultural hub<\/a>, contrasting its historic surfaces with timber elements informed by theatre stage sets.<\/p>\n

Named The Ladder, the centre is housed within the Grade II-listed Passmore Edwards Library and College buildings in Redruth, originally opened in 1895 and funded by Cornish philanthropist John Passmore Edwards.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorThing has transformed a former library in Cornwall into an arts hub<\/p>\n

Following the relocation of the library to the nearby Alma Place, a local campaign was organised to prevent the historic structures from being turned into flats and to preserve its role as a community space.<\/p>\n

Thing<\/a> worked with local conservation architect Claire Newman to transform the buildings into a nursery and a series of flexible spaces for local performers and artists, defined by timber structures that sit alongside its retained, worn surfaces.<\/p>\n

\"CulturalIt provides flexible spaces for local performers and artists<\/p>\n

The hub was named The Ladder after a quote from Edwards reflecting his original philanthropic vision: “if I can fund the Ladder, the people will climb”.<\/p>\n

“Each room embodies its own distinct characteristic atmosphere, forming a diverse suite of spaces clearly rooted within one family,” Thing told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

\"PlayTimber structures sit alongside the library’s worn surfaces<\/p>\n

“The historic character of the building has been foregrounded as a constant thread running through each space,” Thing added. The approach to restoration carefully retains the stories told in the decay, wear and tear.”<\/p>\n

“Each intervention has a clear front and back; expressed ash studwork signifying the backstage, with more refined flush detailing to the fronts,” it added.<\/p>\n

Two separate entrances serve the artists’ spaces and public areas, with a deep-set square window creating a visual link between the nursery in the former college and a multipurpose “front room” with a built-in stage and shelving in the former library.<\/p>\n

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Haworth Tompkins revitalises listed Theatr Clwyd\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Within the library’s turret, a small “dream room” is lined with a datum of deep green-stained timber, which has also been used to create a stepped bench at the base of its windows.<\/p>\n

An acoustic window allows this space to act as a recording studio for an adjacent performance area wrapped by curtains and recycled plastic panels, while opposite a co-working room is organised around a large blue desk.<\/p>\n

\"PerformanceCurtains and recycled plastic panels enclose a performance area<\/p>\n

“The studio is enclosed with two layers of curtains, one sheer and one blackout, enabling full control of lighting conditions: from light, to hazy to dark,” said the studio.<\/p>\n

“The wall of cabinets is both practical storage unit, and a glowing lightbox. The carefully selected milky translucency of the recycled plastic allows the wall to appear flat and solid, or glow in a multitude of colours when activated,” it added.<\/p>\n

\"DreamA “dream room” is lined with a green-stained timber datum<\/p>\n

For The Ladder’s graphic identity, Thing worked with London-based graphic design studio Europa, creating a series of enamelled signs, patchwork curtains and a coloured door for the artists’ entrance that nod to the historic building’s forms and typefaces.<\/p>\n

The project was delivered across phases over the course of three years to allow the client to test and adapt spaces in real time.<\/p>\n

Once further funding is secured, future planned phases of The Ladder include the updating of the linking volume between the library and college buildings to create a glazed cafe.<\/p>\n

\"StudioA co-working area is organised around a large blue desk<\/p>\n

Thing is an architecture and research studio founded in 2024 by Lucas Facer, Patrick Fryer and Thomas Randall-Page \u2013 the designer behind Cody Dock Rolling Bridge in London<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other community arts spaces recently featured on Dezeen include the Horizon Youth Zone by John Puttick Associates,<\/a> which converted a series of former warehouses in Grimsby into a mixture of sports, arts and performance spaces.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Rory Gaylor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UK architecture studio Thing has transformed a former library in Cornwall into an arts and cultural hub, contrasting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":911147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3939],"tags":[4021,4020,162836,5023,134897,4022,77,126129,126130,218696,16,15],"class_list":["post-911146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-community-centres","tag-cornwall","tag-cultural-buildings","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-sectionall","tag-sectionarchitecture","tag-sectionexclusives","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116448556914658677","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=911146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/911147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=911146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=911146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=911146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}