Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library serves as a reminder of eternal learning

Buchan has designed the $21.8 million multi-purpose facility in the fledgling masterplanned community of Armstrong Creek.

Located in the heart of the Armstrong Creek Town Centre Precinct, the Buchan-designed Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library illustrates the power of co-designing with Country in crafting a memorable civic milestone.

Stakeholders such as Buchan, the City of Greater Geelong, Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation envisage the library playing host to conducive to community engagement and socialisation.

Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library’s emergence in Greater Geelong’s already future-focused region reflects a goal to bolster educational opportunities in regional areas as outlined in the Geelong City Deal.

The library covers 2500 square metres across three storeys and holds an impressive catalogue of more than 30,000 new books and resources, in addition to a children’s story time area, outdoor terraces and co-working spaces.

Design facilitates connections to nature

Buchan collaborated with First Nations communities to incorporate living cultural heritage into the design and craft a community space where people feel at one with nature. A winter garden on the first level and an outdoor terrace on the second level encourage users of the space to pop outdoors for a moment of reprieve and relaxation in nature.

The library’s raw concrete facade is adorned with circular windows, a design choice inspired by the ‘living water’ design narrative developed with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the City of Greater Geelong.

“The waterways of the Wadawurrung people have been a natural meeting point for centuries and are rich in cultural and spiritual significance,” says Buchan architect Aleksander Borek. “The new library is conceived as a nourishing place for the community to come together and create a shared future.”

The windows are strategically placed to frame features on the landscape from inside the building. When the windows are aglow in the evenings, they cast a lantern-like quality over the building and communicate the library’s purpose to serve as a constant reminder of the power of learning and knowledge acquisition.

Open interiors and connections to the sky

Buchan has ensured pedestrian safety and shading along Main Street by including a waveform canopy with a rippling ceiling. The main entry to the library is from the new town square where a cantilevered roof shelters a landscaped forecourt that floods natural light into the library’s interior and connects users to the sky.

Open-plan interiors craft a warm and inviting atmosphere. Timber bookshelves, furniture and fittings pay homage to the rich landscape of Wadawurrung Country.

Borek delights in the completed project accomplishing the original design intention – attributing such an achievement to all stakeholders celebrating the “living water narrative”.

“Establishing a clear conceptual framework that everyone understands and champions streamlines the creative and approvals process and leads to a great outcome,” he says.

Functionality and flexibility

Buchan’s design allows for all users of the space to feel comfortable. Features such as movable furniture, operable walls and generous storage enable spaces to be reworked to suit the needs of people using the space. Co-working spaces are available on the top level for those seeking shared collaboration areas.

Accessibility will not just be confined to daytime hours, as staffed areas can be secured outside of hours so the space can host evening events.

The planning and design upheld a commitment to future-focused practices by using environmentally friendly materials and energy-efficient fixtures.

Civic infrastructure milestone

The library is the Armstrong Creek Town Centre precinct’s first piece of civic infrastructure and will not only contribute to the precinct’s identity but set a precedent for future developments.

City of Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan is excited to witness the library evolve into a gathering place. “We know the love the community has for our local libraries and this building is going to be a real focal point for Armstrong Creek residents,” says Sullivan.