King's College to tender prestigious new library project

In the next month or two, Kings College London will be asking for tenders to carry out work on its landmark new library project.

Speaking to I-FM, King's College confirmed the development would get under way soon, with a sealed-bid process used to select the contractors of the project, rumoured to be worth around £20m.

King's College London agreed to buy the former Public Record Office in Chancery Lane on the condition that planning permission and listed building consent would be granted, allowing it to invest in building a state-of-the-art library facility.

The college itself is hoping to raise between £6m and £7m themselves, with a £4m grant from the Higher Education Funding Council helping the project. The aim is to transform the building into one of London's finest libraries, housing 1.4m books on a total of 26 miles of shelving.

However, books may end up only playing a supporting role - 1200 "fully networked" spaces will also be located in the new building, allowing the internet to take a prominent role in the new building.