Advice needed: best shelving method for heavy books in an alcove (70s flat, solid brick behind old plaster)

[daveshorty]

I want to put up shelves to hold mainly books including quite a few heavy coffee-table/photography books. The walls are original to the flat (1970s), so it's old, somewhat crumbly plaster over solid brick.

I'm trying to figure out the best fixing method before I commit to anything, and I'd like the shelves to have a good safety margin.


Options I've been considering so far:

• Twin-slot shelving system (uprights + brackets) fixed to the back wall
• Timber battens on the back and two side walls of the alcove, with the shelf resting on top
• A combination: twin-slot at the back, with side battens to help take some of the load
• Using brackets on sides and back

Questions:

• For a deep-ish shelf carrying heavy books, is twin-slot alone strong enough, or would you avoid relying on it given the plaster condition?
• Would you go with any battens instead, or as well?
• Any recommendations on fixings that get a good purchase into brick through old/crumbly plaster (as opposed to just relying on the plaster itself)?

Photo of the alcove is attached for reference. Appreciate any input from people who've done similar builds.

 

[Lower]

Battens and conventional rawl plugs into the brick would be my choice.

 

[stevie888]

Simple battens will be far and away the strongest and have the advantage that you can shift fixing location if you drill into a bit of soft material.