Construction has begun on one of London's most significant cultural developments in decades - a £1.1 billion extension to the British Library at St. Pancras, with contractor Mace leading delivery on what is set to be a landmark addition to the capital's skyline. The project is being developed by SMBL, a company wholly owned by Japanese property giant Mitsui Fudosan UK, with Stanhope acting as development manager. Mace was appointed to the role following a competitive process in which is beat out Sir Robert McAlpine and Multiplex for the prestigious contract.
The scheme will deliver a 100,000 sq ft extension to the British Library itself, providing new exhibition galleries, learning and event spaces, and improved public access - funded in part through a major philanthropic fundraising campaign launched by the library. Alongside the cultural spaces, the development will deliver over 600,000 sq ft of commercial space dedicated to life sciences laboratories and offices, helping to expand London's Knowledge Quarter around King's Cross and St. Pancras into a world-class hub for science and innovation. The design is by Stirling Prize-winning architects Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, and also incorporates seven storeys of underground tunnels and shafts safeguarded for a future Crossrail 2 station.
The construction programme is expected to take approximately six years, with the project due for completion in 2032. The development will require the demolition of several existing structures to the north of the main library building. The project represents a major vote of confidence in central London's long-term future as a global destination for culture, learning and innovation, and forms part of a broader wave of significant commercial and cultural investment in the King's Cross area.