Library Buildings around the World

New Zealand
Architecture, Auckland – New Zealand
http://www.architectus.com.au
Libraries:
Waitakere Central Library & UNITEC (University New Zealand, Institute of Technology) Facility,
Auckland – New Zealand 2006
Client: Waitakere City Council / UNITEC, Location: Auckland, New Zealand, Approx. Value: $35.5M, Floor Area: 8000m2
Completion: February 2006
Awards:
NZIA Resene Local Award for Architecture 2006
Designed by Architectus Auckland in conjunction with Athfield Architects, this project consists of the new Waitakere City Central
Library, which also integrates the UNITEC collection, and new teaching facilities for the UNITEC Institute of Technology.
Sited adjacent to the existing UNITEC building in Henderson, the two buildings (and a third, attached car parking building) are
arranged around a new pedestrian street and urban square to form a new civic precinct. Part of a building program that includes
the nearby Waitakere Civic Centre, the project is intended to act as a catalyst for the future development of the Henderson CBD
(Central Business District). The Library is the largest in the City, with a depth of collection and a range of services greater than any
of the city’s other libraries. The collections available include a specialist the collection for the entire library system, an extensive
New Zealand and Pacific collection and a developing corporate library service. The general health collection of the adjacent
UNITEC Nursing and Health Studies faculties have been integrated with the public collection while the specialist textbooks have a
separate section for staff and students on the upper floor of the library. The previous Henderson Library was one of the most highly
used public buildings in the central business district with just on a quarter of a million visits per annum. The new building provides
a greater range of services as well as providing for future growth. The new UNITEC building accommodates general teaching,
laboratories, lecture and student facilities and administration. (Architectus)
Archoffice, Auckland – New Zealand
http://www.archoffice.co.nz
Libraries:
Papakura Library, Auckland – New Zealand 2011
The existing Library within the mall of a 4 storey building suffered from poor design and CIPTED issues with many tenancies
vacant and the library isolated on the third floor. Our approach was to open up the arcade, bring the library to the ground floor and
set up access from the carpark via the lift. Part of this work involved a new frontage treatment to the main street which consisted of
a new glass canopy. Archoffice)
Birkenhead Library and Civic Centre, Auckland-Birkenhead – New Zealand 2010
Awards:
NZIA National Award- Public Architecture- Winner
Property Council New Zealand, Special Purpose Architecture, Excellence Award
NZIA Auckland Architecture Award - Public Architecture, Winner
NZIA Auckland Architecture Award - Sustainable Architecture, Winner
NZIA Auckland Architecture Award - Resene Award, Winner
NZ Wood Timber Design Award - Commercial Architectural Excellence, Highly Commended
NZ Wood Timber Design Award - Cladding Building Envelope, Winner
NZ WANZ Window Association - Design Flair Award, Winner
Literature:
ArchitectureNZ, July / August 2010
ArchitectureNZ, May / June 2011
Timber Design Australasia, Second Quarter 2011
Trends Commercial Design, Volume 26 No. 8
Auckland Today, September/October 2010
Landscape Architecture New Zealand, Spring 2010
www.archdaily.com, 14 June 2010
www.worldarchitecturenews.com, 14 June 2011
World Architecture Festival Website, Pick of the day, May 2011
The new Birkenhead Library and Civic Centre is a purpose-built new generation 2,600m2 library situated on a reserve site in
Birkenhead, Auckland. The architectural concept for the library is based around a simple narrative of looking through ancient trees
that existed on the site to the view - thus notions of solid and void, transparency, light quality, pattern and form were considered and
modeled to inform various design demands. The intention was to have a pleasant and verdant quality of light available within the
building that subtly changes during the day, leading to the building becoming transparent at night. The building enjoys a unique
setting in the existing elevated Neil Fisher War Memorial Reserve. Birkenhead Library and Civic Centre makes a noticeably positive
contribution to the surrounding built environment. The return of a library to the heart of the Birkenhead business district, after a
four year absence, has been welcomed by all. (Archoffice)
Albany Library, Auckland – New Zealand 2007
A new Area Library within an existing building. The project comprised a high IT content (DVDs and CDROMs), Adult, Young
Adult and Children Fiction and Non-Fiction. It incorporated North Shore City Council's satellite area office and Mobile Library.
(Archoffice)
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