The Maison de l’Architecture du Québec explores what a library for the 21st century should look in its first national Young Critic in Architecture competition.
Also sponsored by the Ottawa-based Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the contest gives aspiring architects the chance to win $1,000 and have their analysis of an important building design problem published in Canadian Architect magazine.
Elsa Lam, a judge for the competition and editor of the magazine, explained the way libraries have evolved over the years makes it a good subject for young architects to tackle.
“It’s a really interesting success story in that libraries and librarians have been very active in terms of changing with the times and finding ways to keep themselves relevant,” Lam said.
The contest comes as the Ottawa Public Library Board considers ways to design a library befitting the modern world. Plans to replace the Main branch location on Metcalfe Street and create the Ottawa Central Library were approved by city council in June.
Elaine Condos, division manager for the central library project, explained the design of the current building makes it difficult to update and put in new wiring. For this reason many spots within the library are without wireless Internet access.
“It was built for a book-based world, not one that’s technology based,” Condos said, “The existing facility can’t support modern library services.”
According to Condos, construction is still in the early planning stages as the board gains public opinion and gauges the market interest for potential partnerships. She said the location, cost and funding for the project are still unknown, however a report approved in June outlined a central area encompassing the downtown core to be used when considering sites for the new building. A spot near LeBreton Flats on Wellington Street has been pointed out as a preferred location due to its proximity to the Pimisi transit station.
Condos said a new library would benefit Ottawa not only as a research space, but as an attraction for visitors to the city. The Ottawa Central Library has received strong support from Mayor Jim Watson.
Ottawa is not alone in planning a transformation of its main library to meet the demands of the digitalized world. Halifax opened its new $57.6 million central library in December 2014, while construction on Calgary’s $245 million central library is currently underway.
Lam explained libraries have developed from being quiet reading places filled with books to community hubs offering services such as family activities and support for new immigrants. She said this shifting role has an impact on how libraries are designed, particularly as having fewer bookshelves allows for more open space, and having fewer books to shield from damage means there can be more windows and light.
While it is too early to know what the Ottawa Central Library might look like, Condos said the recently renovated Beaverbrook branch in Kanata serves as a potential prototype. None of the bookshelves are higher than one and a half metres, and walls of windows at the front and back of the building create a bright and open atmosphere. Both glass and wood were used in construction of that facility, something Condos said members of the community requested to better reflect a connection with nature.
“What we’re working towards is an inclusive and dynamic central library that would enable learning and creation,” Condos explained. “Spaces where people can work together, spaces where people can work by themselves, places to read, places to do, a place to have a coffee…just a really vibrant, active building where everybody is welcome to come.”