The Irish Times

Queen's University Belfast has obtained planning permission for a major new library building, despite opposition from nearby residents, who say it will be "grossly out of scale" with their Victorian houses. In leaflets distributed throughout the area, Queen's said the £44 million (65 million) library project, which is due for completion in 2009, epitomised its "vision to be an international research-driven centre of excellence at the heart of the local community". The floor area is 19,800 sq m (213,125 sq ft), making it the largest building project on campus. Much of the funding has been raised by the university's foundation, with donations ranging from £5 (7.30) to £10 million (€15 million). Boston-based architects Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott, who designed the building with Belfast firm Robinson Patterson, have worked on more than 50 academic libraries, including those at Yale, Cornell and Harvard in the US.