Following the completion of the British Museum by Sir Robert Smirke (1781-1867) it soon became obvious that space allocated for new books for the library would be insufficient. Two new storage rooms built in the intervening years did not alleviate the problem. The Librarian at the British Museum at the time, Antonio Panizzi, suggested the purchase of further additional land in Russell Square, but this idea was rejected because of the expense. However, in 1852 Panizzi suggested another option accepted by the Museum authorities, that of placing a building in the Museum's inner quadrangle. Sydney Smirke was the architect of the scheme and the contractors Messrs Baker & Fielder. Panizzi asked Alfred Stevens (whose major works include the Wellington Monument in Westminster Abbey) to design the interior painted and with sculptural decoration but this did not come to fruition.