lands ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁central ▁and ▁fashion able ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁but ▁was ▁awk ward ▁in ▁shape ▁and ▁orientation ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁tall ▁w are h ouses , ▁der el ict ▁c ott ages ▁and ▁narrow ▁streets . ▁The ▁position ▁was ▁critic ised ▁for ▁its ▁lack ▁of ▁surrounding ▁space ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁valuable ▁manuscript ▁collections ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁hous ed ▁in ▁" that ▁dirty , ▁un com fort able ▁city   ... ▁[ with ] ▁not ▁enough ▁light ▁to ▁read ▁by , ▁and ▁the ▁books ▁they ▁already ▁have ▁are ▁w retch edly ▁kept " ▁( written ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁about ▁the ▁C raw ford ▁M SS .) ▁ ▁Mrs ▁Ry lands ▁negoti ated ▁De eds ▁of ▁Ag re ement ▁with ▁her ▁neighb ours ▁to ▁fix ▁the ▁height s ▁of ▁future ▁adjacent ▁buildings . ▁The ▁perm iss ible ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁fixed ▁at ▁just ▁over ▁ 3 4 ▁feet , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁suggested ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁t aller ▁at ▁the ▁centre ▁if ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁open ▁area ▁around ▁the ▁edges , ▁at ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁buildings ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁demol ished ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁construction . ▁Champ ne ys ▁incorpor ated ▁this ▁suggestion ▁into ▁his ▁design , ▁setting ▁the ▁two ▁to wers ▁of ▁the ▁fac ade ▁twelve ▁feet ▁back ▁from ▁the ▁boundary ▁and ▁keeping ▁the ▁entrance ▁block ▁low , ▁to ▁allow ▁light ▁into ▁the ▁library . ▁He ▁designed ▁the ▁building ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁tier ed ▁steps ▁with ▁an ▁almost ▁flat