Dining Hall Refurbishment
The Dining Hall is the outcome of a series of changes over the centuries; it doesn’t represent the work of a single period or an over-arching vision. The aim when it was refurbished in 2014 was to create a visually co-ordinated space in which all historic aspects work together whilst at the same time increasing the capacity of the hall to meet the growing requirements of the College.
There was a need to repair elements of the fabric of the hall such as the splits in the panelling, to replace the woodblock floor finish and make a level floor, to renew services including lighting and heating and to improve acoustics. The changes include:
- Restoring the roof beams to their natural oak finish
- Redecorating the reredos to emphasise its carved features
- Increasing the prominenece of the fireplace, repairing and redecorating it
- Re-opening the balcony
- Installing a new and effective lighting system with several different settings
- Replacing the current wood blocks with a new oak strip flooring on a new level base
- Install a new under-floor heating system
- Removing the permanent catering installations
- Adding an acoustic lining to the ceiling to reduce ambient sounds at events
- Installing a PA system
- Replacing the benches with chairs (working with Luke Hughes)
- Re-use existing table tops to provide a series of uniform length tables
- Changing the colour scheme to card-room green on the lower panels and slipper satin above.
The first step was to remove the old benches from Hall. We auctioned off the benches to members of the College and we are delighted with the response. 125 members of the College, with matriculation years from 1960 to 2011 placed bids and over £10,000 has been raised to help with the refurbishment programme. We hope the benches are happy in their new homes and would like to thank everyone for their interest in the auction.
