New South Wales
This project involved the creation of a new 350 seat tiered auditorium housed in the original bookstacks below the iconic Mitchell Reading Room; the revitalisation of a large atrium space in the Macquarie Budling to serve as foyer/breakout space for the auditorium; the creation of two new gallery/circulation spaces the larger one as a dedicated photography gallery allowing parts of the Library’s extraordinary collection of two million images to be displayed for the very first time and the upgrading of the public entrance of both buildings to provide complying equitable access.
The shear heads of the concrete columns removed from the original structure are retained and visible within the auditorium space suspended below four new large steel trusses. The perimeter of the room has been designed with timber cladding metaphorically surrounding the visitor with a memory of the bookstacks from which the space was carved.
The design included the adaptive reuse of the lower ground stacks into an Auditorium, extension of the circulation galleries and creation of an accessible pathway through a beautifully designed link bridge that connects the Mitchell and Macquarie buildings.
The design of the lower ground circulation space has created a permanent gallery dedicated to Photography, allowing parts of the Library’s extraordinary collection of two million images to be displayed for the very first time.
The underground Auditorium and Photography Gallery has significantly increased visitors to the Library, enhancing the city’s cultural ribbon and contributing to Sydney’s position as a global city.
Acoustic Studio, Acoustic Consultant
LCI, Services Consultant
NBRS, Heritage Consultant
State Library Facilities Management, Project Manager
TTW, Structural Engineer
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
