Showing off a dynamic geometric-patterned facade, the new Calgary Central Library by Snøhetta and DIALOG finally opened its doors to the public on November 1. The Snøhetta and DIALOG team was selected to design the new library after winning the Calgary Public Library's international competition in 2013.

Located in a city where more than half of its residents are active library cardholders, the new Central Library was expanded to 240,000 square feet (two-thirds of its original size) to accommodate more visitors and their various library needs.

The entry plaza doubles as a portal and bridge that re-establishes pedestrian connections across the site. Gently terraced slopes rise up to the building, while outdoor amphitheaters embedded into the terraces allow people to sit and library programs to take place outdoors.

“The entire building volume is enclosed in the same pattern, allowing all sides to function as the ‘front’ of the building. This visual vocabulary continues inside, expressed in the design of [Calgary Public Library]’s new visual identity and wayfinding signage in the building, unifying the library’s goals of inclusivity,” Snøhetta describes. 

An expansive wood archway welcomes visitors as they approach the building. Framing the entrance, the archway's form references the Chinook cloud arches common in the region and is entirely clad in western red cedar from British Columbia. “Its organic form and texture bring the large building down to a tactile, intimate scale”. The archway continues into the lobby and main atrium inside, where the wood spirals upward to over 85 feet to an oculus. The wood is contrasted with exposed, unfinished concrete. A pattern of beams and columns resemble a stoa from ancient Greek architecture.

The six-floor library program is organized on a spectrum of ”fun to serious”, the architects describe, in that public activities take place on the lower floors while quiet study areas are located on the upper levels

At street level, multi-purpose rooms line the perimeter of the building, while a playful Children's Library can be found on the ground floor. In contrast, the highest level of the library contains the “Great Reading Room”, which provides space for quiet study and focus. Visitors enter the room through a transitional space with softened light and acoustics. At the northern point of the library is the Living Room, which overlooks the train line and the city outside.

More project photos and drawings in the gallery below.