Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners to craft major British Library expansion
Architecture studio Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) have been commissioned to design a major extension to the British Library in London.
The design team will build 100,000sq ft (9,300sq m) of new spaces on a 2.8 acre site to the north of the library’s Grade 1 Listed building at St Pancras.
Their design will include facilities for learning, exhibitions and public use, in addition to a new northern entrance and a bespoke headquarters for the Alan Turing Institute, the national centre for data science research.
Organisations and companies that wish to be located at the heart of London's Knowledge Quarter will be invited to occupy new commercial space incorporated into RSH+P’s extension, which has close links with King's Cross and St Pancras stations and the Francis Crick Institute.
The British Library project – described as “a major new centre for commerce, knowledge and research” – is being developed with property firm Stanhope, who recently completed work on Herzog and de Meuron’s acclaimed extension of the Tate Modern art museum.
RSHP have worked on numerous high-profile cultural projects, including the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the World Conservation and Exhibition Centre extension to the British Museum and the forthcoming International Spy Museum in Washington DC.
Senior partner Graham Stirk, who is design lead on the new project, said the practice is “very proud to be involved in assisting the British Library to achieve its vision to create a more open and accessible campus that will maintain its prominence for the future.
"We look forward to working as part of a wider team to support and enhance the library’s position within this exciting and evolving international centre of knowledge in the heart of London," he added.
The British Library’s collection includes well over 150 million items, in most known languages, with three million new items added every year. Among its collection is the Magna Carta, original manuscripts by authors Jane Austen and James Joyce, the first written rules of association football and over four million maps.
The library’s current home was originally designed by architect Sir Colin St John Wilson and his partner MJ Long between 1982 and 1999. With a total floor area of over 1.2 million sq ft (112,000sq m) spread over 14 floors, it was the largest UK public building to be built in the 20th century. It was awarded Grade I listed building status in August 2015.
The United Kingdom’s minister for culture, media and sport, Karen Bradley, said: “The British Library is one of our finest cultural institutions, housing an unparalleled collection of knowledge. The innovative [extension] project will increase access to the Library’s first-class collections, providing new exhibition spaces, learning opportunities and facilities for visitors from Britain and around the world to enjoy.”
RSHP founder Richard Rogers recently told CLAD that the studio enjoyed working on leisure projects and defending the public domain because "public spaces are at the very root of democracy, and architecture is about democracy."
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners British Library London St Pancras Richard Rogers Graham Stirk Karen Bradley architecture design
'Never before seen in hotel architecture': RSH+P unveil huge glass canopy at The Berkeley
Work starts on Washington's Spy Museum, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
RICHARD ROGERS: The architect tells CLAD 'we must defend' our public spaces
Football's first ever rule book goes on display
British Library to digitise historic newspapers
British Library snaps up Kodak archive
Sacred texts exhibition at The British Library
FEATURE: CLAD people – Richard Rogers
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
