Lovers of books, buildings, and big old development projects, listen up. The British Library is set to undergo a mighty transformation, as plans for a hefty £1.1 billion extension have just been given the green light.
The vision has been in the pipeline since 2017, when the plans were first proposed. Camden Council had approved the plans back in 2024, but the wheels are now officially in motion. Following recent investment backing from Japanese developer, Mitsui Fudosanwork is set to begin in 2026, with a view to it being finished in 2032.
So, what will the extension involve?
Based on the sheer cost of the development, we can only assume (and hope) that it’s going to be pretty darn impressive. Proposed plans involve a new 12-storey building (designed by architectural practice, RSHP) being constructed behind the existing British Library building. The plot of land which is being built upon has supposedly been reserved for this exact purpose since the library moved to its existing St Pancras site back in 1998. So, in the words of Taylor Swift: it’s been a long time coming.
The new building will open up 700,000 square-feet of space in total100,000 of which will be used for the library, and the remaining 600,000 will be used as rentable office and commercial space. The development will also involve doubling the library’s current exhibition gallery space, freshening up the foyer, expanding the libraries themselves, building a new learning centre, and constructing a new community garden to replace the one that will be built upon.
The new building will also sit right on top of the planned Euston/St Pancras station for the (currently suspended but not completely cancelled) Crossrail 2. To avoid future issues, the British Library extension will include the facilities needed for Crossrail 2, which will stay empty until needed in future.
Chief Executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrencesaid: “The plans will open up the Library even further, creating an expanded national library with state-of-the-art new spaces. We look forward to working with philanthropists, our partners and community to create a groundbreaking new hub for science, innovation and knowledge that will welcome future generations of visitors, learners, researchers and budding entrepreneurs.”
Find out more about the British Library extension plans here.
