Defence Online

Long-awaited plans have been submitted to build a new library at the University of Cambridge’s Magdalene College, designed to provide a “quality, durable and sustainable” alternative to its historic Pepys Library.Magdalene College, located in the centre of Cambridge beside the bridge on the River Cam, wants to construct a three-storey building comprising an archive store, workroom, picture gallery and college library within the college grounds in the north west corner of the Fellows’ garden. The scheme will total 17,103 sq ft of space.Niall McLaughlin Architects, which prepared the proposals, was appointed by the college to design the new library following a competition in 2014, developing it in collaboration with the college and through consultation with Cambridge City Council and Historic England.The existing college library is housed within the grade I-listed Pepys Building which also houses the Pepys Library.The application said that although historically and architecturally significant, the Pepys Building does not provide a good location for the college library. As a consequence, it falls “below the standard” of most other college libraries in Cambridge.The application said the new plans would offer a durable, sustainable library building that aims to significantly enhance this important component of the college’s facilities and enable the college to fulfil its ambitions of providing world-class undergraduate education, while maintaining and enhancing its academic and pastoral provision for the entire community of the college.