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Curtin University Library
Curtin University Library
Perth, Australia
Project Featured on Dec 15, 2019
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Other Projects by schmidt hammer lassen architects
Curtin University Library
Perth, Australia
Project Featured on Dec 15, 2019
Type
STATUS
Concept
SIZE
100,000 sqft - 300,000 sqft
For the past 47 years, the TL Robertson Library at Curtin University in Perth, Australia has stood as an iconic brutalist structure that welcomes two million visits annually by students, faculty and the greater Perth community. Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, together with Australia-based Hames Sharley, is leading the redevelopment of the library that will modernise the building, making it more than just a storehouse of books.
The library, built in 1972, was originally designed with little natural daylight in order to protect the thousands of books and other physical materials in its collection. Schmidt Hammer Lassen aims to create a “living library” by opening up new path- w ays for visual and physical connectivity throughout the building site, while bringing natural light into the space. The new open, light-filled scheme w ill support know ledge sharing and connection, and ensure the library meets the needs of future users.
“We were driven by three core principles when designing TL Robertson Library: openness, access and well-being,” said Morten Schmidt, Founding Partner of Schmidt Hammer Lassen. “The redevelopment complements the building’s original features with bold, contemporary architectural interventions that focus on warm, natural materiality, and contrast the current structure w th open lightness.”
“This project will support the TL Robertson Library’s role as a key meeting place and activity centre on Curtin’s Perth Campus andn its transformation into a place for digital innovation and social collaboration for students, staff, and the wider community,” said Professor Deborah Terry, Vice-Chancellor at Curtin University.
Connecting people and spaces organically
Parks, green spaces, and tree-lined walkways characterise the scenic Curtin University campus. The TL Robertson Library is centrally located on the campus, making it a natural focal point and a historic landmark for students and faculty. The architectural design invites the landscape in, with the use of timber and other natural materials. Vertical lines and elongated windows provide views to the tall trees in the adjacent park. A clean palette of lightweight materials supporting a bold architectural expression w ill add a light, crisp contrast to the existing concrete and brick structure.
The redevelopment of exterior spaces w ill better connect the entrances to the public realm. Henderson Court, a green space on the south side of the building, w ill see physical barriers removed and a gradual grading of the landscape in order to create a more direct link to the south entrance. Inside the library, a new atrium w ill create a strong connection between the second and third levels, both of which reach out to the landscape. A makerspace, an event location, and new flexible teaching spaces will flank a grand staircase with build-in seating.
“The transformation w ill visually and physically connect the library to the heart of the campus and the new developments, further underlining the importance of libraries in higher education – not only as institutions for academic endeavor, but also as cultural meeting points for all,” said Schmidt.
The TL Robertson Library, Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s second library project in Australia, w ill celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022, the year the project is scheduled to complete. The redevelopment of Australia’s oldest and largest library, State Library Victoria in Melbourne, w ill complete in 2020.
Client: Curtin University
Lead Design Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Architect of Record: Hames Sharley
Building Area: 19,280 m2
Competition: Open RFP process, 2018
Status: Expected completion 2020
Visuals: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
The library, built in 1972, was originally designed with little natural daylight in order to protect the thousands of books and other physical materials in its collection. Schmidt Hammer Lassen aims to create a “living library” by opening up new path- w ays for visual and physical connectivity throughout the building site, while bringing natural light into the space. The new open, light-filled scheme w ill support know ledge sharing and connection, and ensure the library meets the needs of future users.
“We were driven by three core principles when designing TL Robertson Library: openness, access and well-being,” said Morten Schmidt, Founding Partner of Schmidt Hammer Lassen. “The redevelopment complements the building’s original features with bold, contemporary architectural interventions that focus on warm, natural materiality, and contrast the current structure w th open lightness.”
“This project will support the TL Robertson Library’s role as a key meeting place and activity centre on Curtin’s Perth Campus andn its transformation into a place for digital innovation and social collaboration for students, staff, and the wider community,” said Professor Deborah Terry, Vice-Chancellor at Curtin University.
Connecting people and spaces organically
Parks, green spaces, and tree-lined walkways characterise the scenic Curtin University campus. The TL Robertson Library is centrally located on the campus, making it a natural focal point and a historic landmark for students and faculty. The architectural design invites the landscape in, with the use of timber and other natural materials. Vertical lines and elongated windows provide views to the tall trees in the adjacent park. A clean palette of lightweight materials supporting a bold architectural expression w ill add a light, crisp contrast to the existing concrete and brick structure.
The redevelopment of exterior spaces w ill better connect the entrances to the public realm. Henderson Court, a green space on the south side of the building, w ill see physical barriers removed and a gradual grading of the landscape in order to create a more direct link to the south entrance. Inside the library, a new atrium w ill create a strong connection between the second and third levels, both of which reach out to the landscape. A makerspace, an event location, and new flexible teaching spaces will flank a grand staircase with build-in seating.
“The transformation w ill visually and physically connect the library to the heart of the campus and the new developments, further underlining the importance of libraries in higher education – not only as institutions for academic endeavor, but also as cultural meeting points for all,” said Schmidt.
The TL Robertson Library, Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s second library project in Australia, w ill celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022, the year the project is scheduled to complete. The redevelopment of Australia’s oldest and largest library, State Library Victoria in Melbourne, w ill complete in 2020.
Client: Curtin University
Lead Design Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Architect of Record: Hames Sharley
Building Area: 19,280 m2
Competition: Open RFP process, 2018
Status: Expected completion 2020
Visuals: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
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