Richard Rogers plans 100,000 sq ft British Library extension

Pic:Star architect  Richard Rogers  ,AFP
Educational reporter(wp/es):

Star architect Richard Rogers has teamed up with the British Library as part of a multi-million-pound scheme to transform London’s Knowledge Quarter.

Plans include a 100,000 sq ft extension to the library and the creation of a “bespoke headquarters” for the Alan Turing Institute, the national centre for data science research named after the Second World War code breaker.

There will be a new entrance for the Grade I listed building in St Pancras and more exhibition space, increasing access to its vast collection of books, newspapers and records.

The proposal, with developers Stanhope, also includes new facilities for school trips and the writers and academics who use the existing site.

It is part of a wider development of a 2.8-acre site north of the library that will offer commercial firms the chance to set up shop at the heart of what has been dubbed the Knowledge Quarter. This is made up of an alliance of  80 cultural and science organisations including Google, the University of the Arts and the British Library, all located within one mile of King’s Cross, Euston Road and Bloomsbury. 

Stanhope, which has been involved in major developments including the extension of Tate Modern, is also working on the regeneration project at the former Television Centre in White City. Lord Rogers’s firm, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, designed the British Museum extension.

Roly Keating, the British Library’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to have secured such high-calibre partners to help realise our vision of the British Library’s London campus as a truly open, creative centre for knowledge. Sir Colin St John Wilson’s Grade I listed building was one of the great public projects of the last century, and this new partnership will help us to preserve and respect its unique character while creating much-needed extra space both for our growing public audiences and the dynamic research communities in London’s Knowledge Quarter.”

The plans for the development are expected to be revealed in the next 18 months. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said: “The British Library is one of our finest cultural institutions, housing an unparalleled collection of knowledge. 

“This innovative 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. It is a significant commitment to digital research and data science, and I am pleased the expansion will provide a bespoke headquarters for the Alan Turing Institute.”