Alumni, visitors, and College members returning for Michaelmas Term 2019 will find that the porters at the Broad Street entrance have decamped to a temporary lodge in the Front Quad while the Porters’ Lodge is closed for refurbishment.
The aim of the work is to improve the working space for the porters and to create a better, more welcoming entrance to the College, with improved access for College members and reception for visitors.
The Lodge area will be remodelled so that visitors and tourists enter the College through a new reception area. Members of College will be able to use their University cards for access through an electronic gate. Made of wrought iron, the gate will be embellished with Balliol-related designs; being lockable, it will provide additional security when required. A new ramp into the Front Quad will allow disabled access. There will also be a new common room for the porters.
The work is expected to take about six months.