Developers Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan UK have got the green light from Camden Council for a £500m extension to the British Library in London.
Design by Architect Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) and engineer Arup, the new 12-storey building is set to include two basement levels and house an extra 100,000 sq ft (9,300 sq m) of library space, learning, business and events spaces. It will have two new entrances and better access to St Pancras Station.
The plan now has to be referred to the Mayor of London for approval. If approved, the development is scheduled for completion in 2029.
It will replace the British Library Centre for Conservation and will also provide a new home for the Alan Turing Institute for data intelligence and artificial intelligence.
The development must also make space for infrastructure for the proposed Crossrail 2 rail link, and a pedestrian walkway will run the length of the basement to a new ticket hall.
RSHP senior design partner Graham Stirk said the approval would see the site transformed into “the most open, creative, and innovative institution of its kind anywhere in the world”.
“The future vision of the British Library is made possible by a state-of-the-art life-science facility that creates a vibrant synergy between a major public institution and private sector applied sciences,” he said.
The British Library’s chief executive Roly Keating said: “This long-planned extension will make it possible for even more people to access and enjoy the library, with a host of flexible new spaces including a new bespoke learning centre and spectacular new exhibition galleries.”
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