The Library At The Dock | The Library Evolution

The Library At The Dock is a public library designed based on a new concept: not only a place to read books but also a place for community activities for everyone. Therefore, the arrangement of the space to facilitate the above activities is a top priority. At the same time, the project also needs to adapt to changes such as the number of books increases or decreases, the shape, and size of the book will change, the new “reading” tool, the needs of users are not fixed… so the possibility of a flexible transformation must also be anticipated.

The library building has a simple box shape, the Ironbark wood surface is 100-year-old, taken from a dismantled bridge in the state of Queensland. The library’s port-facing has a large roof to block out the afternoon sunlight.

The Library At The Dock is built right on an old harbor and stretches for about 55 meters. One side of the building faces the lake, the other side overlooks the park with trees and a children’s play garden. All three floors of the library have open-plan premises. The dining areas, bookshelves, reading books, computers … are all interconnected with each other. Only the area to be quiet – quiet study – is securely enclosed. The bookshelves have a simple design, the size is not high, and have wheels for convenient moving around (when opening space for other events or need to re-arrange the book area). The reading area is arranged with many low-profile tables and chairs mixed with a few high tables and is nestled among the bookshelves. Most of the tables and chairs use light wood materials, Nordic style (Scandinavian): simple and cozy. They are also very compact, convenient for transfer.

In addition to providing book lending services like other libraries, The Library At The Dock also has many areas for group study, gaming, meetings, performances, exhibitions, and has recording and editing rooms. These functional areas effectively support the community activities here. Regularly The Library At The Dock has dance classes, yoga, qigong … as well as outdoor movie screenings, morning reading with free tea, talks with writers … organizing games for kids, free photoshop classes, 3D printing technical presentations …
This is a construction technique using CLT planks and Glulam wood beams. The use of CLT and Glulam components makes the building structure 30% lighter than traditional building structures. The exterior of the house is clad in wood, creating a connection between the new building and the old port is also wooden (due to modern construction techniques, people still retain the 75-year-old pier in front of the building, only 8m away. ). Another noteworthy thing is that 30% of the energy that the building uses is provided from the solar panels on the building’s roof. The rainwater collected on the roof flows out to a 55,000-liter tank located in the next park and then is used again for the building. All of the above technical factors have contributed to this project achieving 5 stars for the “green” building according to the assessment of the Green Building Council of Australia. The Library At The Dock is currently considered one of the greenest public buildings in Australia.

Investor: City of Melbourne, Australia
Scale: 55 x 18m – 3 floors
Design: Clare Design Company and Hayball Company
Completion: end of 2013
Characteristics: 574m3 of quality wood; 140m3 Glulam wood beam with beam length up to 10.2m

The “Activities Room” on the ground floor is separated from the reading area by a glass wall, accommodating 40 people with full desks, screens, projectors, and a digital “interactive” desk. The lobby overlooks the library’s lawn, with large sliding doors. When opening this door, the hall can be expanded by linking the two spaces inside and outside.

The most ideal reading place is probably the row of chairs next to the row of long glass doors facing the water. Nice view with the anchored yachts and the far house … However, as the library staff said, the glass door is not well insulated. In winter, the reader by the window must wear a jacket because the wind from the port carries the cold through the glass. On the contrary, this place of reading is very hot in the summer when the outside temperature is high.

The thematic areas.