News / University of Bristol
Bristol Uni’s new library finally granted planning permission
The new University of Bristol library promises to not only boast world class facilities but also to become a “cultural destination” for the city.
Councillors voted six to four in favour of the plans for the new library, which will be built on the site of former hotel The Hawthorns on the corner of Elton Road and Woodland Road.
It was a reversal of their decision from February where they rejected the plans, ruling that the design, road safety concerns and the impact on the surrounding conservation area were unacceptable.
is needed now More than ever
Due to open in 2026, the new library will have around 2,000 study seats, 420,000 books and 70,000 journals.
The upper floors will be open to university staff and students; while the publicly accessible ground floor will contain exhibition galleries, events spaces and a cafe.
The ground floor will also be home to the university’s Centre for Cultural Collections which will unite the Theatre Collection and the Special Collections under one roof for the first time.
University bosses hope that the new library “will play an important civic and educational role and provide an architecturally significant new building for the city, along with improved external public spaces”.
“As a place to learn and a place to be, it will bring together some of the very best aspects of the city and the university for the benefit of those who live, learn and work here.”
There will be a new pedestrianised square between the library and the refurbished Senate House on Tyndall Avenue, but the impact of proposed road closures led to the scheme being delayed to come before Bristol City Council’s development control committee.
The Hawthorns, on which the new library will be built, is located close to Bristol Grammar School – photo: Martin Booth
University of Bristol deputy vice-chancellor, professor Judith Squires, said: “We are delighted to have been granted planning permission for our new university library and thank everyone for their input and support throughout the planning process.
“The new university library will provide world-class state-of-the-art library facilities for our staff, students and visitors. It will support the learning of generations of future students and cutting-edge research into our most significant societal challenges.
“It will also be a new cultural destination for the city of Bristol, with a museum-style cafe, exhibition galleries, reading rooms to explore archival and museum collections, and programmed event spaces.
“The new university library will sit in a new city square, providing a welcoming and inspiring public realm for the whole city.
“We look forward to delivering this new heart to our university campus and currently anticipate that the new library will open in 2026.”
Main image: Hawkins/Brown, Schmidt Hammer Lassen and BuroHappold
Read more: ‘Libraries are the beating heart of a university campus’
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
