Approval has been granted for the first regional library for the Central Coast on the site of the current Parkside building on Donnison Street, Gosford.
Designed by Lahznimmo Architects, the $27-million project has been three decades in the pipeline, with residents of the former Gosford council paying a special levy towards its development.
A development application for the four-storey regional library was submitted to the NSW planning department in 2021.
The building will be located in the centre of Gosford, creating a central public meeting place for residents. The local council said the library would activate the town centre, providing improved public space and infrastructure that would positively impact the economic development of Gosford.
Ground floor main stair in the proposed Gosford Regional Library.
Image:
Lahznimmo Architects
Lahznimmo worked closely with council stakeholders to develop a brief through a series of workshops to create a place that was an “extension of the public domain at a civic scale,” project architect Hugo Cottier said. “Gosford library will become something of a community centre, where all types of public and educational activities can occur within.”
The building will be entered through a forecourt to be known as the Neighbourhood Room, with landscape architecture by Spackman Mossop Michaels. This covered space will connect three levels of the building, providing a weather-protected and gently tempered environment.
The Public Living Room contains the main library collection and reading spaces. The facility will also include a children’s collection; a collection of historical resources on the Central Coast; flexible function spaces; and breakout spaces on every level for private and collaborative learning. The library will be accessible to all, with the inclusion of hearing loop systems, lifts on every floor, and adjustable-height desks.
Council said the next step is to award a construction tender, anticipated for January 2023. The library’s completion date has been slated for May 2024.
The project is funded by a $7 million grant from the federal government, $8 million from a council special levy, and the remainder from developer contributions and sales proceeds.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
