After an extensive renovation, the University Library in Lund is once again ready to receive students, researchers and visitors. The project, which has been ongoing since 2023 and was completed in the spring of 2025, has both nurtured the building's unique cultural values and created a more modern, accessible and functional library and study environment. On 30 August, the project will be celebrated with an inauguration organised by Lund University.
The University Library, which was built in 1907 on Helgonabacken and has since been expanded several times, has been voted both Lund's and Sweden's most beautiful building. Since 1993, the building has been declared a listed building, which has made the preservation of the architectural values a central part of the renovation work.
Windows and cultural values in focus
An important part has been the renovation of the building's approximately 470 original windows. All fittings, frames and frames have been overhauled, repaired, puttied, sealed and painted – all without any windows being replaced. In this way, the building's historical expression has been preserved while comfort and durability have been strengthened.
"The beautiful University Library is a symbolic building for both Lund University and Lund Municipality. Carefully renovating and adapting it to meet current and future needs is a responsible task," says Lars-Bertil Salomonson, Property Manager at Akademiska Hus.
New spaces and better accessibility
The project has also included the conversion of approximately 2,000 square meters in the library's public parts. The goal has been to create a more open and orientable environment that meets today's needs for studies, meetings and knowledge exchanges.
The renovation has resulted in more study spaces, new group rooms and a completely new entrance environment more similar to the building's original design. The entrance hall has also been supplemented with both stairs and a lift, making the popular mezzanine floor accessible to everyone.
"By highlighting the original character of the library room, the hope is that the expectations of the building's exterior will now be met during a library visit," says Mikael Renstrand, Project Manager at Akademiska Hus.
An investment for the future
In total, Akademiska Hus has invested SEK 40 million in the project. The work has been carried out in close collaboration with Lund University and with the support of experts from, among others, the County Administrative Board and Lund Municipality.
The result is a university library that combines historic architecture with modern functions – a meeting place for knowledge, study and research that both takes advantage of its more than a hundred years of history and prepares for the future.
