Tatura Library

James Seymour Architecture were engage directly by Greater Shepparton City Council to undertake the concept planning for the redevelopment of the Tatura Library in 2018. In early 2019, James Seymour Architecture won a public tender for the implementation design and documentation of the concept plan. The project involves the refurbishment of the existing library and the addition of a 250m2 extension plus new entry and ancillary facilities. The key design focus is to project the library to the street to increase it visibility in the community and to help activate the public space. The project is a significant public facility for a rural community that will act as a hub and focus for community events. The existing Kyabram P-12 College lacks an identifiable entry and community face that will help brand and define the school community. Innovation: The positioning and form of the new extension was critical to meeting key project objectives of a restricted budget (earlier concepts had costings of $3.5M) to maintain the existing green space while enhancing the libraries visibility in the community. The slender box extension projecting roof and cantilevered slab pushed the library into the street while retaining the lawn and maintaining existing access routes to other site users. The library has been designed to accommodate a new 24-hour model based on “Bibliotheca” technology to allow public after-hours access through an integrated access, security and checkout system using a library card. Commenced: 2019 Status: Complete – November 2020