A Chemical Conversion

The RSC has been developing plans to transform its historic library and headquarters in Burlington House, Central London, into a multifunctional venue to celebrate the excitement of chemistry, past, present and future.

A new centre for the chemical sciences

The plans for the new Chemistry Centre have been developed by a working group under the supervision of Council. Helen Pain, Member Services Manager, explains the vision:

"We want to make better use of the space that the RSC occupies in Burlington House by creating a premier location for sharing our knowledge and celebrating the chemical sciences. We also want to provide a resource that can be used by RSC members and the chemical science community worldwide and to enhance and develop the services offered by the library."

The plans will see the library becoming the centrepiece of the new centre. The centre will have a wide variety of uses. Members will be able to study privately or hold small meetings. For the chemical community, the centre will be an ideal venue for lectures and conferences.

The public will also be welcomed in to learn about the importance of chemistry in their lives. Study activities will be available for school groups, while a programme of lectures and exhibitions will draw in the public. 

The centre is ideally placed to appeal to a wide audience: the Burlington House complex houses not only the RSC, but five other learned societies and the Royal Academy of Arts, which has over one million visitors a year.

Alterations to the library

The architect's plans for the library have been developed in consultation with English Heritage. The main library reading room will become a flexible space that can be reconfigured for different uses - for example as a lecture theatre or an exhibition area. Audio-visual equipment will be installed to enable lectures and presentation to be recorded and made available via the web. This will enable audiences worldwide to benefit from a varied lecture programme.

All original features in the library will be carefully restored. New features will include glass partitions across the alcoves, creating private working environments for members, and a bridge to connect the two upper levels of the library to improve access. Adjacent to the main reading room will be an area for light refreshment and informal meetings, creating a friendly atmosphere ideal for networking. A fully-equipped office space for members is also being planned.

Funding

The Society has been successful in securing a £1 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, dependent on the RSC raising matching funds. 

Former RSC President Simon Campbell, who has been leading the RSC's Corporate Partners Campaign, is thrilled with the success: "I am delighted that the world-renowned Wolfson Foundation has offered to join with the Society to transform our library into a modern communication centre that will help advance the chemical sciences and meet the needs of our members and the public far into the future." Further fundraising activities are continuing.

Timeline

Subject to final approval from Council in March, and appropriate consents from English Heritage and Westminster City Council, it is envisaged that the 12 month period of building work will start in July. In order to enable this work to go ahead, the library will close on Friday 23 May 2008.

Members will be able to access many resources online or by phone (see 'Online Resources' box). Further developments on the project will be reported throughout the year in RSC News and the e-newsletter GrapeVine.