Tūranga Christchurch Central Library
By Architectus
Following the Canterbury earthquakes and the demolition of the badly damaged central library, a replacement library was identified as a key anchor project in the city's recovery strategy to assist the revitalisation of the city centre and Cathedral Square.
Architectus in association with Danish architecture firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects was commissioned for brief development, design and delivery of the new central library in 2013.
The new central library brief outlined the need for the facility to deliver a flagship for the Christchurch library network, act as a catalyst for redevelopment and fulfill an important civic function. The library needed to convey the values and identity of both the library and the community it serves.
The building is a beacon, creating a vibrant edge to Cathedral Square and a dialogue between the civic space of the Square and the activities within the library, particularly the key public space of the Community Arena.
The project responds to the changing role of libraries in today’s environment, the local context and international trends in library design. The library provides a social hub for the community to access and share knowledge through a range of media, in a building which is welcoming, diverse and representative of the community it serves.
Collaboration and stakeholder engagement were key components of the project. A brief development process and continual consultation with the public and key stakeholders provided an understanding of the community’s aspirations.
In partnership with Matapopore Trust a multi-layered and intricate bicultural design response was developed and as a result, the design addresses ‘the local’ as a key functional and aesthetic driver.
Location:
Christchurch
Completion:
2018
Products used in
Tūranga Christchurch Central Library
Professionals used in
Tūranga Christchurch Central Library
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Architectus
About the
Professional
Architectus is an architecture and urbanism practice designing places and spaces tuned to their communities, context and culture. Advocates for integrated design, we apply a rigorous and tailored approach to create environments that are inspiring and enduring.
For over 30 years, we have been realising innovative and bespoke projects around Aotearoa New Zealand, shaping precincts and campuses with people and sustainability at their heart. Through a collaborative and integrated approach, we have had many successful joint ventures with local and international partners, and we enjoy a strong relationship with our associated studios in Australia.
Our Purpose
We believe architecture begins with a social agenda. It must nurture and grow communities and individuals, and enhance its neighbourhood and city. Appropriate, efficient and elegant architecture for today becomes the urban fabric of the future – we design for this longevity, to create places that will serve generations to come.
Design Philosophy
While a good project must firstly solve practical needs and be viable, a truly great project must embody a community’s broader cultural context: its urban and architectural setting, its local geography and ecology, and the stories of its people. The more meaningful a place becomes through a true sense of belonging, the greater the value and longevity it has for its community.
We believe placemaking in Aotearoa is grounded in a bicultural creative process. We partner with mana whenua to embed their aspirations and cultural narratives across functional, ceremonial, spatial and artistic dimensions.
Underpinning these human stories is our responsibility to be judicious with natural resources. Environmentally sensitive architecture requires us to be energy-efficient and space-efficient, and to use low-carbon materials and ethically sourced products.
This is a holistic approach that embeds our practice in a continuum of artistic and technical progress, so the architecture we are responsible for will be relevant for decades to come.