078 DIFFICULT SITES


the triumph of the Resurrection, its bold, modernist style effectively amplifying the message of renewal and hope for the future. When Spence was working on his plans


for the new Coventry Cathedral, there was little worry about height restrictions or zoning regulations. Conversely, restrictive planning conditions set by Camden Council presented a significant challenge to Colin St. John Wilson and MJ Long, the architects appointed in 1962 to design the new British


Library in London. Initially proposed for a site opposite the British Museum, the library finally opened 30 years later in 1998 on a brownfield site once used as a railway goods yard near St. Pancras. Te challenges here were manifold. Te site, a narrow wedge, was constrained by two London Underground lines running underneath and stringent planning conditions that included a height limit and a requirement for public space at the Euston Road entrance. Tese


restrictions forced much of the library underground, including its vast book depositories, which descend 24m and had to be carefully positioned to avoid the existing tube tunnels. National projects often face difficult


journeys, but the British Library’s was especially turbulent. Initially intended to be built in three phases in order to spread the cost over several years, the project saw its budget slashed in 1980 when the new


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