Plans for a £1.1bn extension to the British Library have been confirmed, after the Japanese developer Mitsui Fudosan said it will undertake the project.
The vision of "an expanded national Library in London, fit for the 21st century" involves a new 12-storey wing, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP), erected behind the existing building on land that's long been earmarked for the purpose. In all, 100,000 square-feet of new public space will be opened up. Camden Council had approved the extensions plans in summer 2024, and now that Mitsui Fudosan has given the thumbs up, work is set to start in 2026, with completion mooted for 2032.
The extension will include:
- New exhibition galleries, doubling the existing gallery space.
- Expansion of the Library's business support services for budding businesses and entrepreneurs.
- A new learning centre offering educational experiences for visitors of all ages.
- An expanded public foyer space, with additional new entrances on Ossulston Street and Midland Road.
- A new community garden on Ossulston Street.
Since we last reported on the extension, the cost of the project has apparently risen by over half a billion pounds.
Takeshi Iwama, Chief Executive of Mitsui Fudosan UK, said:
I am delighted to confirm the development of the British Library extension project. It represents a major milestone in the evolution of an exceptional opportunity. We are proud to be investing in the expansion of one of the UK's most important cultural institutions, as well as continuing to work with community organisations in Camden to ensure that the benefits from this high-profile investment are experienced as much at the local level as they are nationally and internationally.
The British Library — which was created in 1973, and opened its St Pancras site in 1997 — will be eager to put its recent past behind it; in October 2023 the institution was rocked by a cyber attack, causing long-term damage to its systems and hugely affecting users.
In 1998, the then-Prince of Wales sniffily referred to the newly-erected redbrick institution as "a building suiting an academy for secret policemen." Not everyone is a fan of the new extension design either — one commentator dubbing it "a gross over development". Still, it's good to see the building's colour scheme carries on the terra-cotta tradition in these parts. The St Pancras hotel buildings, the Crick and the original British Library are all faced with similar orange hues.
