It is expected that in the next few weeks, three companies will receive tenders to assess the British Library’s expansion scheme.
Japanese developer Mitsui Fudosan has promised to begin work on the £1.1 billion project next year, with completion set for 2032.
The Tokyo-based real estate company has fully acquired SMBL, the project development partner, which was previously a joint venture between them and Stanhope, with Stanhope retaining its role as development manager.
Teams from Mace, Multiplex, and Sir Robert McAlpine will receive tender documentation by next month for works valued at around £600 million.
The project will be implemented as a construction management scheme, and the tender winner is expected to be chosen in the summer.
This is one of the largest construction projects in the capital in the coming years. It will add 100,000 square meters, which will include office and library spaces, next to the 1970s landmark listed as Category I.
Less than 10% of the new 12-story building will be library space, with the remainder reserved for offices focused on life sciences professionals, as well as for the new headquarters of the Alan Turing Institute.
The project has been designed by RSHP and Arup along with other contributors, including QS T&T Alinea and landscape architect DSDHA.
It is known that Mitsui Fudosan will finance 5,000 square meters of underground passageways on the site, intended to ensure the safety of the future Crossrail 2 project. The tunnels and shafts, which will extend seven floors beneath the site, have become part of the agreement reached between the developer, Stanhope, and Transport for London to protect the site.
The project also includes the controversial demolition of several buildings to the north of the main library, including the 2007 British Library Preservation Centre, designed by Long & Kentish.