Considerable thought, ingenuity and consultation went into the clever design and fit-out of the Hostry in order to
- incorporate and leave visible as much of the original monastic Hostry as possible whilst ensuring that the new building places no structural weight on the remains of the old,
- render each specialist area fit for purpose,
- maximise the flexibility of these various areas, and
- fulfil the Cathedral’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the preservation of natural resources.
Incorporating the new and the old
The new Hostry exactly fits the footprint of the old monastic Hostry both in terms of the physical building and its main purpose. Just as the original Hostry was where the Priory welcomed visitors and those seeking help of all kinds (alms, learning, advice, medical treatment etc) so today’s Hostry is where we welcome 21st century visitors. They come for all sorts of reasons, too many to list here, but a snapshot of a day in the life of the Hostry would include
- people coming as tourists to see the Cathedral
- schoolchildren exploring how the monks lived
- delegates attending a conference staged by a local business
- art lovers coming to view an exhibition and
- choristers practising for Evensong.
As for the building, the architect has re-created the volume of the medieval Hostry, while making as little impact as possible on the fabric of the existing buildings and archaeological remains. To avoid any potential damage by loading weight onto the medieval remains, the roof and first floor are independently supported on internal columns and finger props . Throughout the scheme the architect has chosen to use materials found in the Cathedral, such as oak, limestone and glass, to maintain the aesthetic of the original buildings whilst bringing a spirit of modernity to the new building.
Green credentials
A number of key design and building elements that have been incorporated.
Timber Use
The primary material is either English Oak or FSC sourced oak from elsewhere in Europe (FSC is the highest standard of accreditation of sustainability). Specifying English Oak reflects the tradition of its use in ecclesiastical buildings and elsewhere in the Cathedral, but also offers an exceptionally strong, long-lasting beautiful material that requires minimal maintenance. The oak is left unfinished externally and coated with a natural linseed oil-based finish internally. Timber used in this way has low embodied energy.
Locally Sourced Materials
The Clipsham ragstone and Ancaster ashlar used in building the Hostry was quarried in neighbouring Lincolnshire.
Energy Consumption
The building is predominantly ventilated naturally through the use of opening windows and rooflights, ensuring minimal energy consumption and lower maintenance costs. The thermal mass of the masonry walls control the summer temperature peaks and insulate in the winter. High efficiency boilers to heat the space in the winter, the use of underfloor heating and movement sensors in certain rooms all improve the Hostry’s energy efficiency. External oak louvres on the west elevation screen the Hostry from sunlight in the summer months to reduce solar gain.
Natural Lighting
The building is enclosed by full height double glazed screens at the north and south ends and also benefits from glazed rooflights. The extensive use of glazing greatly reduces the need for artificial lighting in daytime.