The Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and community hub in Geelong has opened, with the new three-storey facility housing a collection of more than 30,000 books and resources.
The $21.8 million building is designed by Buchan, which secured the project through a design competition. The project is considered the first civic and social infrastructure development in the new Geelong suburb of Amstrong Creek.
Spanning 2,500 square metres, the community facility houses a children’s story time area, outdoor terraces, co-working areas, multipurpose spaces and a winter garden.
The raw concrete facade features organic, circular windows of varying sizes. Buchan architect Aleksander Borek said the overall conceptual framework for the exterior was inspired by a concept of “living water,” developed in collaboration with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the City of Greater Geelong.
“The waterways of the Wadawurrung people have been a natural meeting point for centuries and are rich in cultural and spiritual significance,” Borek said. “The new library is conceived as a nourishing place for the community to come together and create a shared future.”
The diversity of circles on the facade also symbolises the unification of many individuals within the community. At street level along Main Street, a waveform canopy shades internal occupants on the ground floor and external pedestrians from excessive heat and light.
The interior features an open-floor plan that can be reconfigured for various activities using operable walls, moveable furniture and mobile bookshelves. Furniture, bookshelves and fittings are crafted from timber, while a rammed earth feature wall serves as a textured divide between front-of-house and back-of-house spaces.
A winter garden on the first level and a terrace on the second floor offer outdoor access.
The library is located at the centre of the Armstrong Creek Town Centre precinct. The suburb of Armstrong Creek was gazetted in 2012 from largely undeveloped land. The City of Greater Geelong released renders of the design in late 2021.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
