Update on the Library renovation

                     Stakeholder consultations on two designs were carried out with Associates, Diploma students, Scientific Sections, the Library Committee and the Fundraising Advisory Board. These provided recommendations on the quiet zone, the meeting rooms, the layout of a corridor with reading rooms, the use of both blackboards and smart boards, and the need for study pods. A final design will be rendered by the architects.

                     Following the consultation, a private donor extended their financing for the library to USD1 million which, along with the funding from the Italian Government , will cover the renovation costs.

                     Demolition work has been halted after the detection of asbestos in the cavity with pipes in the sea facing area of the library. This is a common problem in buildings from the 1960s. A technical report was commission that detailed the steps to be taken to secure the site and remove the materials in accordance with Italian legislation . The report concluded that there was no pollution of surrounding ICTP workspaces as the construction site had been separated. Removal and clean-up work is being contracted.