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Balancing the books: how the Egyptian and British libraries compare
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt British Library, London
Total floor area
85 400 m2		 1 08 000 m2
Total capacity on site
4 million volumes (rising to 8 million by replacing shelving)		 12.5 million volumes
Reader desks
2500 in one reading room		 1206 in eleven reading rooms
Number of floors
11 floors, 4 underground		 14 floors, 5 underground
ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV completion
spring 2001 (projected)		 Nov-97
Development period
12 years (projected)		 21 years
Completion overrun
1 year		 4 years
Construction cost
$212m projected (£149m)		 £511³¾
Cost overrun
$50m projected (£35m)		 £61³¾
Architect
³§²Ôø³ó±ð³Ù³Ù²¹		 Colin St John Wilson & Partners
Contractors
Rodio/Trevi/Arab Contractors, Balfour Beatty/Arab Contractors		 Laing Management, Sir Robert McAlpine/Haden Young