Langwith bar to face closure and conversion into an ‘artistic space’
Langwith bar looks set to close after the college Provost admitted a lack of custom has left it a “dead space”.
John Issitt, Langwith College Provost, has published a new report that contains plans to replace the bar with a coffee shop as part of a proposal to change Langwith College into an “artistic and educational socialising place.”Issitt said, “The reality is the bar is not working”, and economic pressure has made the current setup as unsustainable”.
The new project would provide space for various artistic activities such as music and drama events, as well as visual arts exhibitions. The space would also be available for conference use in the holidays.
Issitt said, “The difficulty is making the business plan and convincing all the powers-that-be to cooperate, negotiate and make it work.” He admitted that the project will require a lot of financing, requiring an investment from the University, but said “the economic viability of it is built into it right from the beginning”.
Zach Pepper, a Langwith Bar Rep, has expressed doubts about the financial success of the project. Pepper said, “It sounds like a good idea in principle but it’s going to cost a lot of money, so whether it’s realistic it needs to be seen.” He also admitted that he was apprehensive about plans to replace the current bar with a smaller bottle bar that would only be accessible during events, saying “I think it will decrease the viability of large events.
“I can’t realistically say that we want the bar to continue as it has been because it has not proven popular. We’re happy to recognise that Langwith works better as a venue than as a bar.” He also blamed the bar’s unpopularity on the fact that it is located between Derwent and Vanbrugh college bars, both of which are considerably larger.
Langwith College JCRC Chair Won Youn has reacted with concern over the plans to get rid of the bar. “It’s the one thing that we really take pride in.
“It’s a place where you go and meet your friends. It’s a socialising area, and if that goes, it will affect us quite badly, but we’ll have to deal with it,” Youn said. “Hopefully something better will come”.
However, he assured students that the JCRC will take further action to save the bar from being closed down. Youn said, “We’re going to go all the way, even if we find ourselves losing it. We’re not going to give up that easily”.
The new Langwith venue project plans are currently on public display for staff and students in the Langwith JCR.
Stephen
I’m beginning to wish I’d never started reading Nouse again. The gutting of Vanbrugh B and C Blocks, the loss of all portering in three colleges for the best part of a term, the imminent closure of Langwith bar. They’re even evicting Campus Ken! This could have been written as some sort of comedy nightmare vision of the future when I left the university in 2001. But in 2007, it’s all true