Liverpool Civic Place and Yellamundie Library / fjcstudio

Architects:fjcstudio

Area:21483m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Ruth Gold

Lead Architects:Richard Francis-Jones

Principal:Annie Hensley, Sean McPeake, Soenke Dethlefsen

Builder:Built

Facade:Surface Design / Prism Facades / Inhabit Group

Town Planning:Ethos Urban

City:Liverpool

Country:Australia

Text description provided by the architects. The Yellamundie Library represents a transformative addition to Western Sydney, a region experiencing rapid growth and economic change. Designed to serve a highly diverse community experiencing socio-economic disparity, this contemporary facility serves as vital social infrastructure. Its sustainable design and connection to generous open spaces create a welcoming place where the community is encouraged to engage in learning, self-improvement, technology access, cultural expression, and social gathering.

Yellamundie acts as a beacon within the community, promoting curiosity and participation through visual connection to a variety of spaces and activities. These include areas for storytelling, cultural celebrations, multilingual collections, youth and family activities, and local heritage research. Popular traditional library functions, including focused learning in a formal reading room are complemented by future-oriented initiatives such as the Create Space and technology programs that enhance digital literacy and innovation.

The role of the library in supporting and elevating its population has had an immediate effect – job-ready and entrepreneurial programs, homework help for children in need, welcoming spaces for community support programs and a haven for large populations of children and youth after school.

This visionary library not only reflects the aspirations of its multicultural community but also sets a new standard for future libraries. In a time of significant global conflict, this library epitomises how multicultural societies can thrive. By blending tradition with innovative programming tailored to local needs, Yellamundie redefines the role of libraries, ensuring they remain indispensable for generations to come.

The new curvilinear library, Yellamundie, is inspired by the nearby river's flow — an eddy that promotes pedestrian flow around its form. The centre of the eddy is the library, accessible to all and highly visible from all directions, visually connecting with surrounding streets and melding with existing and new open spaces. The facade creates a translucent gesture of welcome, unity and gathering while celebrating the importance of the individual through picture windows. Its moderate scale belies the library's large floor area, offering a transition from the small neighbouring heritage building to the surrounding high rise.

Below the plaza, a large courtyard level, illuminated by a lush garden and skylights, provides large footprint functions, including program spaces, a substantial book collection, a reading room and an exhibition space. This level supports the many quiet study activities occurring each day. Arriving on this level, visitors can immerse themselves in the community's stories and talent through exhibitions and gallery space.

Entry lies within the pedestrian-friendly open space, away from noise and traffic. The human-scaled floor levels above and below the entry are awash with daylight and offer easily accessed collections, seating and study areas. Highly valued as the positive future for so many in the community, young people are raised to the top of the building, a place of great quality and safety, where youth and children are offered their own domain. Youth areas support group study and socialisation. The wonderful outlook on the children's level is celebrated with very popular 'king of the castle' tree-house lounges.

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