Mitsui Fudosan on The British Library
We are delighted to welcome back David Height, Director of Planning and Engineering at Mitsui Fudosan UK, to talk about new developments for The British Library at our 'Cultural regeneration and Cities' forum in April. Mitsui Fudosan has been at the forefront of developing open innovation and knowledge hubs in Tokyo, including the Nihonbashi life sciences district.
The British Library has signed a development agreement with SMBL Developments Ltd, a consortium comprising Stanhope plc and Mitsui Fudosan UK Ltd, working with architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) and engineers Arup.
Agreement is the next stage in the Library's plans to develop its 2.8 acre site to the north of the existing Grade 1 listed building at St Pancras, next door to the Francis Crick Institute and St Pancras International stattion. The development will house state-of-the-art facilities for the British Library learning, business and exhibition spaces, a new northern entrance to the Library and a new headquarters for the national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, The Alan Turing Institute.
King's Cross, St Pancras has been transformed with significant development over the last twenty years and has led to the creation of the Knowledge Quarter - a collaboration of over 90 knowledge, creative and research organisations, including UCL, Google, the Wellcome Trust and Central Saint Martins.
Mitsui Fudosan, Stanhope and The British Library will continue to work closely with the local Somers Town and wider Camden community to shape and guide the development. In partnership with Global Generation, they will open The Story Garden, a temporary community garden this Spring.