The British Library and its development partners have submitted plans for a major extension to its premises at St Pancras, which will create a new 600K SF life sciences scheme.

The body has appointed a joint venture between developers Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan UK for the project, which was designed by architects Roger Stirk Harbour & Partners.

The British Library said the extension would offer more opportunities for people starting new small businesses, provide career development, new jobs and access to world-leading expertise.

The project will create 100K SF of new space for the library and up to 600K SF of commercial space that will be targeted at the life sciences sector.

The area close to St Pancras and King's Cross is already home to the Francis Crick Institute and the Alan Turing Institute, which is headquartered at the library, as well as medical charity the Wellcome Trust, and slightly further away, University College London.

The plans also include formidable basement works to accommodate any new Crossrail 2 line if it is approved and built underneath London.

“The close proximity to the medical research community directly influenced the evolution of RHS+P’s design, as it became increasingly clear that our extension needed to have the technical capacity and flexibility to accommodate the burgeoning need for life sciences capability in the Knowledge Quarter, including the technical standards and large open floorplates needed for dry labs for biomedical research," British Library chief executive Roly Keating said.

Stanhope and Mitsui's White City Place scheme in west London has a significant number of life sciences occupiers.