The British Library

The story

Before moving to St Pancras, the library was based in Bloomsbury with sundry buildings elsewhere. Today almost everything sits under one roof, with only the Boston Spa complex apart, and the old Newspaper Library at Colindale lives on as the Newsroom on the second floor. At the centre of the building rises the King's Library Tower, a six-storey glass tower filled with historic books. The permanent Treasures exhibition gathers books, maps and manuscripts including Magna Carta, Jane Austen's original manuscript, Martin Luther's New Testament and Paul McCartney's handwriting. Changing shows have ranged from Sacred Texts, with the 1539 first authorised English Bible, to an interactive fairytale exhibition for young children. Beyond the galleries are study spaces with free Wi-Fi, two cafés, a terraced restaurant on level 1, an outdoor square with seating, a bookshop and a gift shop.