‘World-class’ £1.1bn British Library extension to start in 2026
The development is expected to be finished by 2032
A ‘world-class’ £1.1bn extension of the British Library is expected to start in 2026, it has been confirmed. The project is set to create around 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) of new library spaces for culture, learning, research and business including expanded galleries and business support facilities.
The proposal includes a new full-height foyer, new public entrances and some 600,000 sq ft (55,800 sq m) of commercial space to attract businesses to what’s described as London’s Knowledge Quarter. It will open up the library across three sides and create new publicly accessible areas connecting it to Somers Town and St Pancras.
The development will start in 2026 and is expected to be delivered by 2032, according to the library’s website. In March, the British Library and its partner, SMBL, a company wholly owned by Mitsui Fudosan, confirmed £1.1bn would be spent on developing the library’s St Pancras site, which is in the Camden borough but sits right on the border of Westminster.
Stanhope Plc has been contracted to be the development manager for the project. The works will take place on land owned by the library to the north of the existing building.
The project was designed by RSHP and engineers Arup and was given the green light by Camden Council in July 2024. The development is set to make the British Library a “major hub for research” located next to the Francis Crick Institute and the Alan Turing Institute.
Plans also include a community garden on Ossulston Street. A £23 million contribution is being made towards affordable housing in the area. Rebecca Lawrence, Chief Executive of the British Library, said the plans will open up the Grade 1 site with ‘state-of-the-art’ spaces.
Takeshi Iwama, Chief Executive of Mitsui Fudosan UK, said: “Our development commitment represents what we believe to be one of the largest single real estate investments into London by a Japanese company to date. We have already acquired significant expertise in the life sciences sector across Japan and the US over almost a decade and will be bringing this to the British Library extension development, our first in this sector in Europe.
“We are confident that the new commercial space at the heart of the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter – and designed by leading international architectural practice RSHP and engineers Arup – will encourage some of the world’s most ambitious and successful life sciences companies to invest in the UK by the early 2030s.”
Culture, Science and Technology Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The British Library is one of the greatest British cultural institutions and this funding will see it undergo an ambitious transformation, creating new spaces that will showcase our national story and history.
“The creation of a new world-class commercial science and innovation space in London’s Knowledge Quarter will also help encourage investment in this vital sector in the UK. I look forward to seeing how this major development will benefit the local community and beyond, supporting growth and innovation.”
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