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After receiving delivery of a faulty truss, which engineers found to be lacking in material and fabrication quality, the New Central Library experienced a six-week construction delay. It is now back on track in the heart of the East Village, in a growing neighbourhood that will be well served by public services and transit by project's end in 2018.
Located along the east side of 3rd Street SE between 7th Avenue SE and 9th Avenue SE at the western edge of Calgary's East Village, the New Central Library will straddle 150 metres of subterranean LRT track. The concrete encapsulation of the track was performed prior to construction, serving the dual purpose of allowing trains to pass underneath without disturbing readers, while simultaneously providing a foundation for the impressive new facility.
Designed by Snøhetta for the Calgary Public Library and Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, the New Central Library will be the crown jewel of the East Village. While this may seem like high praise for something as seemingly straightforward as a public library, a deeper look at all of the moving parts involved in its completion reveal that there is more than meets the eye.
Featuring a series of complex curves and massing, the New Central Library will serve as an architectural gateway between Downtown and the East Village. The built-in pass-through will allow pedestrian access through the mid-section of the structure, so the library will be bisected both laterally and longitudinally on foot and by train, becoming a sort of urban crossroads where ideas, people, and trains intersect.
Designed as an open, welcoming space, the 22,000-square-metre library will feature print, archival, and digital collections, in addition to ample reading and studying spaces, public meeting and speaking rooms, and of course, free public wi-fi throughout the entire building.
SkyriseCalgary will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.
