Do you see glass as adding a special quality to the building
without being flashy about it. There is some beautiful glass
handsomely mediated with the louvres on the west.
It comes back to that notion of the community destination.
Glass is really important in achieving that. You could have
a box with no windows and you wouldn't achieve the same
thing. You want to see all of the activities from the street.
You want it to feel welcoming and vibrant as you're walking
along the streets, so that main elevation is a very important
part of the project.
People still need knowledge, they still need to socialize,
they still need recreation and libraries are just evolving with
the technologies to create different ways of providing those
facilities. Not only that, Rockdale's also got a whole
renaissance of residential quarters with lots of apartment
buildings. They're places where the young kids can come
and study away from home, where there's a bit more room,
they can meet and socialize with their mates or study with
their mates. There are those diverse levels that libraries are
working at.
It's an interesting dynamic to balance places of reflection
and study with the bright social mood. Glass really delivers
the best of both worlds.
PerformaTech™ on the outside of the building provides a kind
of clear armour if you like, while internally the study rooms
use an acoustic glass. It's about using the right products and
materials for the task, and so to have Viridian's input along
the way was really critical in a result that went well beyond
appearances. Being adjacent to one of Sydney's major roads,
with overhead aircraft noise and Mascot Airport fairly close
by, required a glazing system with the best possible thermal
and acoustic properties.
Glazing permits an adventurous
program of natural illumination
without fear of thermal compromise.
“Libraries should
be open, lively;
they should be
destinations”
ANDREW HJORTH, ARCHITECT