Allenbuild appointed to build new storage facility for the British Library
West Yorkshire facility to provide optimum storage conditions for millions of items from the UK national collection
Allenbuild has been appointed by the British Library to construct a major book storage facility at Boston Spa in West Yorkshire. The facility, which will be constructed alongside the Library's existing buildings at its Boston Spa site, will provide additional storage capacity for 7 million items from the UK national collection, which is currently expanding at a rate of 12.5km of linear shelf space per year.
The fully automated facility will house low- and medium-use items from the Library's immense collections of books and journals, helping the Library to meet its storage requirements over the next decade, while also providing a storage environment that is superior to some of the premises currently in use. Allenbuild will build the storage void for the new facility, working under overall project managers Capita Symonds and with FKI Logistex, the contractor responsible for installing the automated, high-density storage and retrieval system that the Library has chosen to maximise the available space.
FKI Logistex has also signed a contract with the British Library to design and build the automated storage and retrieval system. FKI Logistex will work with the Library and Atkins, the architects and multi-disciplinary engineers of the new building, to integrate the storage and retrieval system into the overall design of the facility.
The British Library's Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Steve Morris, welcomed the appointment of Allenbuild to build the new facility at Boston Spa: "I am pleased to announce the appointment of the building constructor for the Additional Storage facility. With existing facilities, the British Library is about to reach storage capacity and this building will meet our immediate storage needs as well as providing growth for a number of years."
Steve Clarkson, Regional MD of Allenbuild said: "Allenbuild are delighted to have been appointed as the main contractor for this exciting and vital new facility. We look forward to working with the British Library and the other project partners to deliver an innovative first-rate storage solution for such a substantial and important part of the Library's collection."
Paul Terry, Associate Director of Capita Symonds, overall project managers for the new storage facility, said, "We were in at the very beginning, so we are delighted that the parts of the jigsaw, in the shape of the major partners, have now neatly slotted into place on time and within budget."
Andy Smith, MD of FKI Logistex Warehouse, Distribution and Manufacturing Systems Europe, said, "As integrator for the Boston Spa Additional Storage project, we have already developed an excellent working relationship with the British Library and its partners; we look forward to moving into the next phase of the project with the design and construction of the automated storage and retrieval system within the new building."
Barry Paschali, Director of Atkins said, "As architects and engineers on this leading edge building, the project has presented us with a fascinating challenge - to create sophisticated, innovative designs which fulfil complex technical requirements and complement the surrounding environment. Working with Allenbuild will be an exciting next stage as we see the new facility come to life."
Anticipating the important role the new facility will play in the British Library's long-term storage strategy, Steve Morris concluded: "The books and journals to be stored in this facility represent an irreplaceable part of the national published archive. It is incumbent on the British Library, as custodian of the UK's intellectual output, to store, preserve and provide access to these items using facilities that are fit for purpose as well as cost-effective."
He added: "Our partners are firms with established reputations and a proven track record for successful delivery of complex and challenging projects. I look forward to working with them all to deliver this exciting and important new facility."
For further information, images and interviews, contact Ben Sanderson at the British Library Press Office: +44 (0)1937 546126, email: ben.sanderson@bl.uk
Notes for Editors
The British Library Additional Storage Programme will provide the UK national Library with additional storage capacity as existing storage becomes full in the next few years. The new facility at Boston Spa will offer capacity at the appropriate environmental standards for collections for which the Library has a commitment to keep in perpetuity. The facility will contain 262 linear kilometres of high-density, fully-automated storage in a low-oxygen environment. Though the various technologies to be used in the facility are well-established in themselves, their combination for use in a large library facility is innovative and likely to be of great interest to national libraries around the world. www.bl.uk
Allenbuild Limited is one of the UK's most innovative construction companies and is part of the £450 million turnover Renew Holdings plc, a specialist construction services provider. Allenbuild was founded in 1946, employs 500 people nationwide and has offices in Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, Wigan and London. Allenbuild has carved a niche within the public sector and specialise in the design and construction of major building projects. Allenbuild has also established a number of partnering and framework agreements and has successfully completed projects for clients including, the Inland Revenue, Royal Mail, Defra, Environment Agency, Employment Services, HM Prison Service and the Ministry of Defence. allenbuild.co.uk
Part of FKI plc, FKI Logistex is a leading global provider of automated material handling solutions, supplying customers with an integrated set of leading-edge technologies in high-speed sortation, conveyor systems, palletizing, paperless pick products, AS/RS, controls, order fulfillment systems, RFID implementation, EDS integration, baggage handling systems, warehouse control systems, and total material handling automation. The company provides material handling solutions for airports, postal facilities, parcel distribution, manufacturing operations, library automation, and for warehouse and distribution facilities. With projects that include many of the world's largest and most advanced material handling operations, FKI Logistex has manufacturing, engineering and support facilities around the world. For more information contact Jackie Rutter, European marketing manager on +44 (0)1536 480611 or visit www.fkilogistex.com
Capita Symonds is one of the UK 's largest and most diverse multidisciplinary consultancies, operating in the building design, civil engineering, environment, management and transport sectors. With over 3,000 staff in 45 UK offices they seek to offer an unrivalled scope of services. Capita Symonds brings a unique blend of professional and technical skills to schemes of all types and complexities.
The company is built around success for itself and its clients. At the heart of everything is their belief in being a company that shares mutual success with clients through developing successful people, delivering successful projects and maintaining successful performance year on year. www.capitasymonds.co.uk
Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) plans, designs and enables the delivery of complex capital programmes for clients in the public and private sectors across the globe. Atkins is the largest multidisciplinary consultancy in Europe; the largest engineering consultancy in the UK; and the world's fourth largest design firm.
Atkins' current projects include:
- Major infrastructure works, including the Olympic Park for London 2012;
- In the defence sector, the MoD's Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) programme - overseeing the development of the next generation of medium weight armoured vehicles for the military;
- Significant road and rail contracts, including a £65 million, three-year resignalling contract in Basingstoke;
- High profile architectural designs, such as Durrat Al Bahrain, a spectacular 20 sq km seaside city resort on the south coast of Bahrain comprising 13 man-made islands.
Atkins was named among the'20 Best Big Companies to Work For 2006' by The Sunday Times; 'Construction Consultant of the Year 2005' by Building; and 'Consultant of the Year Major Firm 2005' by New Civil Engineer.