The British Library

The British Library

Construction of an extension to the British Library where sound recordings can be archived.

Project Overview:

• Client: Sir Robert McAlpine

• Type of Works: Demolition, Groundworks, split level RC Basement and Superstructure

• Value: £1.5m

• Project Start Date: August 2005

• Location: Somers Town, London

We were engaged to construct an extension to the British Library where sound recordings can be archived. The scope included demolition, drainage a spilt level RC basement, and groundworks, together with superstructure concrete works of columns & beams and toppings to the steel frame.

The basement construction forms the sound recording studios where archive material will be transferred to digital media. It is designed to be as sound proof and vibration free as possible. With the London Underground close-by, this meant that anti-vibration measures were required. In effect we constructed a series of RC boxes which sat on special rubberised bearing pads.

These sound rooms are pods inside the new structure and we had to develop some specific formwork support methods to construct the slabs/soffits.