The iconic seven-storey building is to be built on the site of Fairview House,at the corner of Park Street and Vicarage Street, and will incorporate latest technology, study spaces and other facilities.
The soon-to-be landmark in the town centre will comprise of 7,400 square meters of space, connecting to the rest of the University’s Luton campus through a bridge link.
The University’s Vice Chancellor, Bill Rammell, said:“This move further underlines our ambitions for current and future generations of students at Bedfordshire.
"The fantastic new facility will further enhance the students’ learning experience, offering the latest digital learning technologies, an expanded space for print resources and flexible study space for individual and group study, which will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“This investment also underlines the University’s commitment to developing first-class teaching and learning facilities in Luton. Only last month we launched a new dedicated Art and Design building in Guildford Street. We also opened a CSI crime lab facility on Cumberland Street in the town, for forensic science students to gain valuable practical experience as part of their studies.”
The announcement is part of the University’s plans to invest some £90million into the redevelopment of Luton campus over the next five years and follows a series of recent campus developments at Luton.
Amongst the new developments are the £34m Campus Centre, a £20m Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre and the Fitzroy Court Student Village, on Vicarage Street, opposite the Luton campus.
Chris Tredget, Managing Director at Willmott Dixon, commented: “We are delighted to be involved and look forward to delivering this superb new library for the University of Bedfordshire.
"As a local company, with an office in nearby Hitchin, Herts, and staff living across Bedfordshire, we are naturally very proud to be responsible for an important addition to our community.
"We will also buy local construction materials whenever possible to support jobs and companies in the local area.”
Willmott Dixon’s Northern Homes Counties team is planning to start building works in late January 2014, with the library’s opening date scheduled for summer 2015.
Photo: Construction News