British Library gets planning for £500m extension

Plans for a £500m extension of the British Library, NW1, were approved by Camden Council in a planning meeting earlier this week. The 1m sq ft plans were bought forward by SMBL Developments, a jv between Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan UK, in partnership with the British Library Board. The Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners-designed plans show a 12-storey extension that will provide extra galleries, commercial space and shops. The proposals include demolishing the existing British Library Centre for Conservation and the construction of a new wing that will sit behind the existing British Library building. The building will have two basement levels and house an extra 110,000 sq ft of library space, learning, business and events spaces. It will also house the Alan Turing Institute for data intelligence and artificial intelligence. The approved proposal also includes 820,000 sq ft of office space, including lab-enabled spaces and retail provisions. See more planning information in Camden>> To send feedback, e-mail akanksha.soni@eg.co.uk or tweet @AkankshaEG or @EGPropertyNews Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners