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 | | LAW BOOKSELLERS REFURBISHED AFTER 175 YEARS | | | Contrax Furniture | | 04/10/2006 | | |
175 years after Wildy & Sons was founded in 1830, the law bookseller's premises at Lincoln's Inn Archway, London WC2 have received their first major refurbishment.
Selected for the quality of its work at a number of nearby barristers' chambers around Lincoln's Inn, Contrax Furniture of Oxford was commissioned for the bespoke cabinet work involved in producing 100 bays of full height open shelving units plus many complementary interior items, all of which had to maintain a styling and design sympathy to satisfy the very strict guidelines laid down by local planners. Quite remarkably, this new work replaced certain items of shelving that was last made from timber recovered from bomb sites in the Second World War.
Complementing the open shelving units, Contrax Furniture has manufactured desks, shop counter and illuminated window display units, archive filing units, as well as housings for heating and air conditioning. All the items have been finished in American cherry veneers and solids, and burgundy colour linoleum has been selected for all desktops and working surfaces. The book case back panels were specified with a matching sprayed AC lacquer
pigmented finish.
Wildy & Sons are delighted with the overall result. 'We had seen the quality of previous work done by Contrax Furniture and we felt this would fit in well in our building', explained Brian Hill, Wildy's IT and publishing manager, 'We are very pleased with the work and have received nothing but compliments since it was completed.'
Wildy & Sons has occupied both sides of Lincoln's Inn archway since 1830. In the 1950s they expanded into the adjacent building which now makes up two thirds of the shop space. As a Grade II* building, it was important for Wildy & Sons to work with an architectural firm to gain the necessary planning consents through English Heritage on the overall restoration of the building which dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The project has involved a £200,000 investment by the family business which has been funded through recent expansion.
The bespoke shelving units have made life a lot easier for both stocking and display of law books to customers and the archway window areas have been opened up with provision of the new illuminated window display units making them much more appealing to passers-by. 'Foot traffic through the bookshop has doubled since we completed the refurbishment so the project is performing well,' added Brian Hill.
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