Community library opens in new Geelong suburb

The Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and community hub in Geelong has opened, with the new three-storey facility housing a collection of more than 30,000 books and resources.

The $21.8 million building is designed by Buchan, which secured the project through a design competition. The project is considered the first civic and social infrastructure development in the new Geelong suburb of Amstrong Creek.

Spanning 2,500 square metres, the community facility houses a children's story time area, outdoor terraces, co-working areas, multipurpose spaces and a winter garden.

The raw concrete facade features organic, circular windows of varying sizes. Buchan architect Aleksander Borek said the overall conceptual framework for the exterior was inspired by a concept of "living water," developed in collaboration with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the City of Greater Geelong.

"The waterways of the Wadawurrung people have been a natural meeting point for centuries and are rich in cultural and spiritual significance," Borek said. "The new library is conceived as a nourishing place for the community to come together and create a shared future."

The diversity of circles on the facade also symbolises the unification of many individuals within the community. At street level along Main Street, a waveform canopy shades internal occupants on the ground floor and external pedestrians from excessive heat and light.

The interior features an open-floor plan that can be reconfigured for various activities using operable walls, moveable furniture and mobile bookshelves. Furniture, bookshelves and fittings are crafted from timber, while a rammed earth feature wall serves as a textured divide between front-of-house and back-of-house spaces.