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The New Central Library is gradually taking shape in East Village, and with each steel beam placed and panel of patterned cladding installed, the Snøhetta-designed building proudly displays its unique design. Its distinct shape, acute angles and large skylights harken back to a familiar face: the Fish Creek Library. At a time when architects working in Calgary were content with the pragmatic functionalism of boxy buildings, often at the expense of creativity, Fish Creek Library pushed the boundaries with a sharp-cornered design reminiscent of a massive crystal.
Ian McDougall and Ken Hutchinson were the architects of the pyramidal building at 11161 Bonaventure Drive, which is comprised of two sections bridged by large skylights. Standing adjacent to Southcentre Mall and its vast parking lot, the building brought a piece of striking modern architecture, which would have typically been more at home in the downtown core, to the leafy suburbs of Calgary. The library was built to replace the small Macleod Branch at 10325 Bonaventure Drive that opened in 1979, which had provided service to the south end of the city.
Images from the Calgary Public Library archives show the three-level facility taking shape, with its concrete supports and latticework roof clearly visible in the images above and below. The building opened in 1985 and is now widely regarded as an architectural landmark and one of the city's most attention-grabbing libraries.
But the design wasn't without its faults. In 2007, Williams Engineering Canada discovered that the metal roof and steep slope of the building contributed to a lack of air seal and waterproofing integrity. As a result, the library was suffering significant energy loss through the roof assembly. The City determined the best course of action would be to replace the roof entirely, and although the building's complex geometry produced obstacles for the crew, the roof replacement and interior upgrades were completed in 2014. The rehabilitation work translated to an improved energy performance of approximately 30 percent, greatly enhancing the energy efficiency of the library.
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