ABSTRACT
Opened in 1970, Bourne Hall Library, Museum and Social Centre, in the semirural Borough of Epsom and Ewell, was said to be futuristic due to its resemblance to a flying saucer (Figure 7.1).1 Designed in the round, it has been described as ‘a post-war pioneer of circularity’.2 Like Hampstead (Swiss Cottage) Library, the Bourne Hall development (hereafter simply referred to as the ‘Bourne Hall Library’) boasts a Grade II listing by Historic England which, in explaining the award, draws attention to the building’s ‘striking design, notable for its space-age flair and the generous, top-lit principal interior space’, its circular layout being ‘well-organised, legible and flexible’.3 Elaborating on the library as cultural centre, and leaning towards the development of the public library’s community identity, Bourne Hall Library comprised not only a variety of library departments but also a museum, exhibition hall and social centre, all under a single roof.4
