Library Buildings around the World

Johnston Central Library and Farnham Centre is a new, three storey cultural and administrative building for Cavan County
Council, housing the county library headquarters, central library, county archive and arts office, a new cultural events space,
genealogy department, tourist office and council offices. It is located adjacent to William Farrell’s fine sandstone Courthouse on the
principle street in the town and on the site of the former Protestant Hall. The brief required a building of civic presence which would
also be open, easy to engage with and inviting and could accommodate the complex functional requirements of a number of services.
Current societal concerns obliged a serious engagement with more sustainable design and construction solutions to reduce the
demand on high energy service installations and informed a decision to apply both the latest innovations in low energy technology –
geothermal heat pumps, low energy lighting solutions - while also adopting an integrated approach where the building itself is
designed to maximise natural ventilation, natural daylight, etc. The societal imperative was also driven by Cavan County Council to
produce a building which incorporated the latest best practice standards of accessibility for all. The design process involved intensive
early and ongoing consultation with the client including upfront research and joint visits to similar building types. A collaborative
approach to design development was pursued in an endeavour to produce integrated structural and service solutions.
From the outset careful consideration for the needs of all users, with particular thought given to those with disabilities, was a strong
objective of the client and the brief. Thus, the building is designed to be legible and easy to use with level access to the principal
public facilities and generous lift and stair access to upper floors. Materials have been selected for their acoustic and tactile as well as
visual qualities so that those who may have one or more of their senses impaired will still have sensual enjoyment from their
environment.
During both the design and construction stages consultations were held with representatives of the NDA and with the local Cavan
Library Advisory Group which includes local people with disabilities and professional occupational therapists. Out of these
consultations came approval and development of such design solutions as the brass tactile warning strips to front stairs, tactile
limestone at external entrance area, the non-standard provision at the ground floor accessible toilet, control of lighting quality and
levels internally and externally and, other solutions to meet the universal access prerogative.
The Farnham Centre and Johnston Central Library is a recipient of the inaugural National Disability Authority’s Excellence
through Accessibility Award..
Architecturally, the building design has attempted to respond to all the above and a practice interest in the inseparability of building
craft and design craft to produce a building which will endure well. At the centre is the atrium, which acts as gathering space linking
physically and visually the different functions distributed within the three floor levels and enabling people on all floors to experience
the length, breadth and depth of the building while enjoying the benefits of fresh air and natural light.
The building steps back to accommodate the mature Horse Chestnut trees – survivals of the original Protestant Hall complex which
chart the seasons and guard the building - and forms a civic space onto Farnham Street. Materials have been chosen for their visual
and textural qualities, with an emphasis on materials which are natural, handcrafted and perform well over time. Light also forms
part of the building’s palette of materials and consideration has been given to capture the changing patterns of light against the
masonry, bronze, glass, over the course of a day and throughout the seasons in an attempt to augment the tactile qualities of the
building. The use of lime mortars and plasters throughout - their structural properties allowing the elimination of expansion joints in
the long brick elevations - bring added environmental benefits in terms of internal air quality, acoustics and future recycling.
(Shaffrey)
Lismore Library Headquarter, Lismore – Ireland 2005
The restoration, adaptation and extension of the former Christian Brothers’ Monastery at Lismore, to accommodate Waterford
County Library Headquarters and Area Offices. The original building, was built in 1872 and extended in 1930, it is located on a
prominent site. Lismore is a town of significant architectural quality. Designing a sizeable new extension to a Protected Structure
within an urban context as Lismore, and in such a visually prominent location, was challenging. The requirements of the brief
included a large bookstore and processing facility and a number of offices. The approach was to repair and enhance the
architectural qualities of the existing building. The architectural solution for the extension traditional materials in a contemporary
manner. It forms a long south-facing elevation to the former monastery garden. The varied forms of the extension pick up the
rhythm of the complex roof in the historic building. The visual impact of this new element is softened by the copper cladding, and the
adjacent mature. The masonry elements of the extension are constructed entirely with lime mortars and plasters/renders—lime
chosen for its environmental, structural and breathability qualities. A sedum roof is used on parts of the extension and the entire
complex is now heated with a geothermal system. The building has a total area of 750m2 was completed and occupied in May 2005
following an 18 (Shaffrey)
Shay Cleary Architects, Dublin – Ireland
http://www.sca.ie
Libraries:
UCD Newman Library Spatial Integration Concept, University College Dublin, Dublin – Ireland 2010 on
design
The project proposes the creation of a multilevel concourse space which will join the Newman Building with the James Joyce
Library and in doing so create a new dynamic educational complex for the Arts. The amalgamation of existing structures and new
build elements will provide a unique gathering and movement space on the campus. Our proposal looks at this initiative as a
significant opportunity to create a hub which can be pivotal to an extensive enlargement of the complex over time obviating the
necessity to develop a completely new building for this purpose on other college lands. It is therefore very much in line with the
aspirations of the Campus Development Plan 2005 – 2015 in relation to providing accommodation in a more sustainable fashion. In
that document higher density is proposed generally along with buildings of appropriate scale for the campus. Our project endorses
these aims through the creative reuse and extension of existing built stock and an appropriate increase in scale at the core of the
overall campus. (Shayn)
Cork County Library, Cork - Ireland 2009
Cork County Library Headquarters
Cost € 23.500.000, Gross Floor Area c.4430sqm
The library is phase two of the Cork County Council Civic Campus. It is the headquarters for a twenty two branch county wide
network of local libraries and provides administrative offices and a large book processing facility for Cork. There is limited public
access at ground and first floors. The building is L shaped in arrangement with a six storey wing on its western side enclosing a
landscaped south facing public courtyard. A two storey horizontal wing encloses the space to the north. The provision of this new
public amenity is made possible by locating the large book processing facility and archive storage below the courtyard level. It is lit
and ventilated by two landscaped courtyards. The six storey block at ground floor contains the main entrance as well as public
functions such as drama and music collections along with a flexible lecture and exhibition space. A double height undercroft at the
southern end of this wing provides loading and delivery space for books. There is flexible office space on all the remaining floors.
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