Lambeth Palace Library
Location: Lambeth Palace Road, London
Architect: Wright & Wright
2020
Wright & Wright's £23.5 million re-design of the Lambeth Palace Library is the first new building on the site for over 185 years.
The library was originally founded in 1610 by the Archbishop Richard Bancroft and is one of the earliest public libraries in the UK. Holding over 200,000 printed books, many dating back to as early as 1700, as well as over 5,000 manuscripts, the library is a vital keeper of our religious and historical texts.
The new building sits at the north end of the garden at Lambeth Palace, close to the South Bank of the Thames. The location retains the collections link to the Palace, whilst also offering increased accessibility to the public.
The modern redbrick design has four and five-storey wings, a nine story central tower as well as a viewing platform which opens up to a view across the Thames to the Palace of Westminster.
