Consultation for
British Library Extension

Above: Concept drawing of British Library extension roof form.

Camden Council hosted a Development Management Forum (DMF) on the British Library on Tuesday 2 February. This Forum included a presentation and a question and answer session between the developers and members of the local community.

The recording of the session is now available so you can watch the presentation and discussion if you missed it. The presentation starts at 44.00.

View the DMF recording online   |   View the presentation slides

SMBL were selected by the British Library as their development partner to bring forward the plans for the site. SMBL have spent several years working with the British Library and TfL getting to know the Somers Town area and community leaders, resident groups, schools, and other organisations.

We want to hear your views to make sure this project delivers for everyone in the local community. Find out more on how you can be involved here.

The British Library is home to one of the most important collections of books, manuscripts, newspapers, maps and sound recordings in the world.

Now, a once-in-a-generation transformation is being planned to extend the British Library’s site in London to make it the most open, creative and innovative institution of its kind anywhere in the world, which is an important part of the British Library’s “Living Knowledge” vision.

The project to take this vision forward is a partnership between the British Library and SMBL Developments (a joint venture between Stanhope Plc and Mitsui Fudosan UK Ltd).

Workshop presentations

We have been holding some introductory sessions with representatives of the local community on some of our aspirations for the British Library extension project.

View the presentations here.

find Out about:

The British Library extension and the aims of the project
History of the British Library
The team
The site today
Our vision for the British Library Extension
How you can have your say and next steps
Illustrative sketch of Dangoor Walk.

The British Library extension

The British Library extension will provide a wide range of benefits for the local community. It will completely open up the British Library to the north east and west. New publicly accessible spaces, squares and routes will be created to connect the Library to Somers Town and St Pancras.

The British Library extension would also become a meeting place where everyone can visit and enjoy the Library and the new opportunities created, and will provide a new headquarters for The Alan Turing institute, the UK national centre for data science and artificial intelligence.

There are three main aims to this project:

1. Growing the library

Creating more capacity for Camden residents, visitors, schoolchildren, students, researchers, workers and businesses as well as new spaces for exhibition galleries, an events space, and additional facilities for learning and business.

Improving the public realm and connections to Somers Town, through opening up the site and providing new entrances to the British Library Extension at the north which will be accessible from both Midland Road and Ossulston Street, closer to Somers Town, to improve access for the local community.

2. Creating the heart of the Knowledge Quarter

This site is located at the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, one of the greatest concentrations of knowledge-based cultural and scientific businesses anywhere in the world.

A significant part of the extension will comprise commercial space to be leased to those who want to work and collaborate with businesses and communities in the Knowledge Quarter, joining other research-based institutions near the Library such as the Francis Crick Institute and The Alan Turing Institute.

3. Unlocking London’s largest transport hub

The site will support the future creation of a new underground station for Crossrail 2 by connecting Euston and St Pancras. This will mean that the area is the most important transport interchange in the UK.

The Library’s new spaces and the Station Works infrastructure for Crossrail 2 beneath the site would be funded by new commercial space (c 600,000 sq ft). This will also create more job opportunities within the Knowledge Quarter.

Illustrative new entrance and foyer space.

benefits Of the Project

Approximately 100,000 sq ft of new space for the British Library
New northern entrances to the British Library on Midland Road and Ossulston Street
Connections to the existing British Library, creating new north-south and east-west routes through the site
A series of new, large public and civic spaces for all to enjoy
Ground floor uses that will enliven Dangoor Walk
A sustainable building that has been designed to reflect the vision of the UN Sustainable Development goals.
A new headquarters for The Alan Turing Institute
New employment opportunities from the additional commercial space
For more information on the benefits, please visit the Our Vision tab here.

Please do take the take the time to look through this website, read more about the project and provide us with your views and ask any questions you may have here.

COVID-19:

In order to put everyone’s health and safety first in light of the Covid-19 epidemic, we are not organising public exhibitions or meetings to share our ideas in the normal ways we would like. However, we hope you find this information helpful and can spare the time to give your views here.

Share Your Thoughts

This is only the first stage of our public consultation and we hope this website provides a useful introduction to our aspirations and designs as they develop. We would welcome feedback and invite any questions.

Get in touch with the project team:

0800 307 7968 (freephone)

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Respond to our survey here

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We have also produced a newsletter for the local area containing the information on this website. If someone you know may like to receive this newsletter please get in touch.

blextension@londoncommunications.co.uk

Post your comments at the post box in the Story Garden where you can provide us with your comments.

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