The Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada (OPL-LAC) joint facility was revealed at a ceremony on Jan. 23.
The $193-million, 216,000-sf project is being designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and KWC Architects and will combine the shared resources of the partner institutions to create a place for gathering, learning, and discovery. The new facility will include exhibition and collections space, reading rooms, a creative center, a children’s area, a genealogy center, and a cafe spread across five floors and configured around a large town hall.
Reading Room.
The design of the building, which was created with the help of area residents, Indigenous communities, and Canadians from across the country at four public workshops, draws from Ottawa’s history and natural beauty with a dynamic form reminiscent of the nearby Ottawa River. The stone and wood exterior reflects the adjacent escarpment and surrounding green space on the western edge of downtown while the windows, top floors, and rooftop offer views of the Ottawa River and the Gatineau Hills in Quebec.
See Also: Timber grows up
Children's Area.
“The location at a cultural crossroads of a route that traces the three founding peoples – French, English and Indigenous – underscores the spirit of confluence in the building’s design and the possibilities for these memory institutions in a modern facility to advance the Canadian story,” said Donald Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects, in a release.
The project is targeting a minimum of LEED Gold. The OPL-LAC facility is currently anticipated to open in late 2024.
Indigenous Centre.
Related Stories
Libraries | Sep 26, 2019
Hunters Point Library brings rooftop reading garden, community-devoted space to the Long Island City waterfront
Steven Holl Architects designed the building.
Libraries | Sep 18, 2019
The $115 million renovation of Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library completes
Beyer Blinder Belle led the project.
Libraries | Apr 4, 2019
AIA awards six projects with the 2019 AIA/ALA Library Building Award
The AIA/ALA Library Building Award is the only award that recognizes entire library structures and all aspects of their design.
Mixed-Use | Feb 19, 2019
Sunset Library in Brooklyn will be capped with 50 affordable residences
Magnusson Architecture and Planning is designing the facility.
Libraries | Feb 10, 2019
New library branch in San Diego opens with its community’s learning and working traits in mind
It features larger gathering spaces and more technology than its predecessor.
Libraries | Jan 18, 2019
Chicago’s newest library branch preserves the old and ushers in the new
Its exterior design reflects the neighborhood’s industrial history, while its interior fosters community and shared learning.
Libraries | Oct 16, 2018
Earthquake-resistant library rises in Christchurch, New Zealand
Less than a decade ago, the city was devastated by four major earthquakes.
Libraries | Jun 1, 2018
New library offers a one-stop shop for what society is craving: hands-on learning
Beyond lending books and DVDs, the Elkridge (Md.) branch library loans household tools like ladders, wheelbarrows, and sewing machines.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.
Libraries | Jan 29, 2018
Commercial plane that skidded off the runway may become Turkey’s newest public library
The plane was removed from its cliffside perch five days after the incident.