The library will be four storeys tall, like most buildings on the university’s campus, and will provide more than a thousand study spaces.
It was nearly 18 months ago, back in July 2014, that Osborne was awarded the construction contract but only this week finally broke ground.
Creagh Concrete has a £5m subcontract to construct an architecturally exposed concrete frame with brick-faced precast panel façade.
Osborne is also building a new £14m student accommodation block at the university’s Digby Stuart College, due to be completed later this year.
Osborne senior project manager Chris Hickman said: “Breaking ground is always an exciting moment for us. After many months in the design and planning stages, it’s fantastic to be making those first physical steps towards delivering, what will become, a library that will benefit so many in the years to come.”
The university’s estates director, Ghazwa Alwani-Starr, said: “We’re pleased to see work getting under way on the site and working with Osborne we’re looking forward to watching it rise up in the centre of our campus during the next 18 months. Our current first year students will be the first to use the new library when it opens in autumn 2017, which is particularly pleasing.”
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