A Shinto ceremony opened the building work, which adds galleries and a bigger foyer and keeps space underground for a future station.
Building work is under way on a £1.1 billion extension to the British Library, and the scheme leaves room deep below the site for a Crossrail 2 station that could be built later.
The start was marked with a Shinto groundbreaking ceremony, with a priest officiating. Its rituals prepared the site for construction and called on the kami, the guardian spirits of the land, to bless the work and keep it safe. The choice of a Japanese rite comes down to the money behind the project. Mitsui Fudosan, a property company from Japan, is paying for the extension via a business it owns in the UK.
Participants broke the ground three times with a spade and shouted “Eih”, an old custom intended to get the attention of the spirit of the land and show respect to the earth. An evergreen sprig was also offered to express harmony with nature.
Alongside the library extension, the site will hold offices, plus a large new shaft and space underground for a future Crossrail 2 station that would connect Euston and St Pancras. Keeping that space free means the railway could pass beneath the site should Crossrail 2 be built.
A pedestrian tunnel crossing the site from east to west is also part of the plans. Passengers would use it to get from the Crossrail 2 platform to a ticket hall that is expected to be built under Midland Road at some point.
At street level, the library should gain around 100,000 sq ft of extra public space. That will include a learning centre and more room for exhibitions, along with a larger foyer and facilities to support businesses.
Firms working in science, data and life sciences are expected to take a further 600,000 sq ft of commercial space. The developer has also pledged £23 million for affordable homes nearby.
RSHP designed the extension, working with the engineering firm Arup. Completion is expected in 2032.
Completion is expected in 2032.
Mitsui Fudosan, a Japanese property company, via a business it owns in the UK.
A shaft and underground space for a future station connecting Euston and St Pancras, plus a pedestrian tunnel towards a ticket hall expected under Midland Road.
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