Work is also advancing on key structural features. This includes installing ductwork, continuing below-ground plumbing on the lower level, and adding conduit for electrical systems. Crews have begun work on the roof over the west pavilion, are making progress on a new elevator, and have partially installed new stairways. Additional work includes masonry walls, equipment foundations, and ongoing site cleanup and grading.

The building is expected to be completed in July 2027. Following construction, the Library will coordinate the move of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University Archives, and Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, along with their staff and collections, into the new space. A grand opening is planned for Spring 2028.

Experience the build as it happens—check out live construction of the new Archives and Special Collections Building through the Morrow Plots Cam on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s YouTube channel.

Below are photos taken on March 26, 2026, highlighting the developments on site.

Construction on the new Archives and Special Collections building continues to move forward, with the project now more than 25% complete. Recent work has focused primarily on interior progress due to winter weather, including installation of ductwork, wall construction, ceiling preparation, and ongoing waterproofing.

In the coming weeks, weather permitting, crews will continue exterior structural work, including progress on the elevator shaft and roof elements, while interior construction advances with framing, electrical and mechanical systems, and additional finishing work.

Experience the build as it happens—check out live construction of the new Archives and Special Collections Building through the Morrow Plots Cam on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s YouTube channel.

Below are photos taken on January 14, 2026, highlighting the developments on site.

Construction of the Archives and Special Collections Building (formerly the Undergraduate Library) began this summer. The new building is currently at 15% completion and is expected to open in Fall 2027. It will house the University Library’s renowned University Archives, the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, and the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections.

“We are thrilled to be underway with construction on this ​project,” said Claire Stewart, the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian. “Our exceptional archives and special collections are heavily used in teaching here at Illinois and by scholars around the world. Currently dispersed across multiple campus locations, these collections—and the talented faculty and staff stewarding them—will finally unite in a single facility offering greater access and stronger security.”

Recently, the installation of a tower crane has allowed for most of the demolished material to be removed from the lower level of the building. Currently, the following work is in progress: elevator excavation on the east side of the building has begun, replacement of deteriorated 1990s waterproofing around the perimeter walls and on the tunnel, finishing demolition of the west pavilion and demolition of the plaza to begin replacement of that waterproofing, beginning to salvage and restoration of courtyard limestone, and continuing mechanical and other demolition. Initial framing of some interior spaces is expected in the early fall semester.

While construction is underway, students are making use of study areas in other libraries across campus, including the:

• Main Library
  • The Orange Room – collaborative/group study with seating for 340; open until 11 p.m. starting this fall.
  • Shebik Family Reading Room – quiet study with seating for 320.
  • Media Commons and other study areas.
• Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – open 24 hours, five days a week, with seating for more than 1,900.
• Funk ACES Library – open until 2 a.m., five days a week, with seating for 350.

Learn more about the Archives and Special Collections Building and follow the construction progress at library.illinois.edu/specialcollectionsbuilding.