Facts and figures

  • Opened July 2012
  • Is the first of its kind in Europe
  • Houses 12 miles of archive collections
  • Winner of two international awards for the building's design and sustainability
  • Contains a quarter of a million books
  • Anticipating over a million visitors per year
  • Over a million books issued in the building's first year of opening
  • 10,000m2 of public space, over five floors
  • 800 study stations
  • Over 26,000 records of historic monuments and buildings
  • Landmark, distinctive design