The Old Hall, Lincoln's Inn

The building has been heavily amended over its history, including a complete reconstruction in the late 1920’s due to failure in the timber roof trusses. The building was carefully dismantled and reconstructed as much to the original plan as possible, with the addition of the Gateway which once formed chambers for the judge and now serves as the catering kitchen for events in the Old Hall.

The works undertaken by the team were to enable the greater independence of the Old Hall, which relied heavily on the Great Hall for catering and back of house support. The kitchen on the first floor over the gateway was completely refurbished, providing new equipment and infrastructure to bring it up to current standards as well as provide more functionality. The existing timber escape stair from the kitchen was replaced with a more elegant and robust steel stair.

To improve accessibility of the Hall and its Crypt spaces, a new platform lift was carefully inserted into the existing internal stairwell. Clad in bronze with an open top, the lift allows all users to enjoy the same experience of the Old Hall and its unique spaces. A new accessible WC was also installed in the Basement area to provide full support for less abled users.

In the Hall itself, a new floor was installed which provides underfloor heating to replace the existing less efficient heating system. A new stone floor was installed over the underfloor heating system to brighten the space and reintroduce the original floor material.

Additional refurbishment of the catering support spaces in the basement allows further functionality of the building to accommodate different types and sizes of events. In the short term the Old Hall will replace the Great Hall as the primary dining and gathering place for Lincoln’s Inn whilst the next phases of work are underway.

MICA team for Rick Mather Architects