Cambridge University Library

Architect	Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
Date Built	1931 - 1934
Location	West Road, Cambridge
Description
This Grade II Listed building bears a strong resemblance to Scott's industrial buildings like the Bankside Power Station in London, now the Tate Modern Gallery. The library tower stands 48 metres high. At the time of its listing Historic England described it as a, "... Long half H-shaped building. Red brick. Stone plinth, stringcourse and cornice. Pantiled roof. Projecting centre with round-headed rusticated archway, 4 windows over, pediment and tall tower. On each side of this, recessed portions of 3 windows each, and then blocks of 12 tall strip windows with recessed penthouse storey and widely overhanging eaves. At each L-shaped block of lower elevation, 2 storeys and 7 windows." The library's website says of the building's history that, "... Under the librarianship of Scholfield and with the generous aid of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Library was built a new, and considerably larger, home designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, which opened in 1934. A number of major acquisitions in all departments came to the Library during the course of the twentieth century, prompting the need to build an additional closed-stack extension which was taken into use in 1972."