As a pretty shy kid growing up in Red Deer, Alberta, books were my ticket to secret adventures. We lived a short walk from the town’s main library, and all those books in one building seemed like a treasure trove. I grew up in an era when families like mine questioned why anyone would want to buy books, when you could borrow as many as you wanted from the library – for free! Our library had one other thing going for it, in my eyes. My Aunt Ivy was a librarian there, so the experience of visiting the library always had a safe, homey, family feel to it.
My Mom was an ardent reader, too – though she didn’t have a lot of spare time to put up her feet with a good book, since many of the household conveniences of today were lacking back then. When my siblings and I were all finally settled in at school, she took a course to become a “Library Technician” and then landed a job working in the library at our local high school. Some kids might not like the idea of having a parent on staff at their high school, but I loved knowing Mom was just down the hall every day, happily at work keeping things running smoothly in the library, and helping students find the books they needed. I started to volunteer as a “book shelver” after school, which always felt like an oasis of peace after a noisy, busy day at school.
I guess you could say that libraries are in my blood. They certainly have a prominent place in my memories, which include very fond ones of taking my own kids to the public library when they were little, and then coming home to snuggle on the couch and read our treasures aloud. So you can imagine how excited I was a few years ago to learn that a new library was being built in downtown Calgary to replace the old Central Library…and that, by all accounts, it was going to be pretty spectacular. In fact, in its December 2017 issue, Architectural Digest listed Calgary’s new Central Library as one of the twelve most anticipated buildings in the world for 2018. As its construction took shape before our eyes, it seemed that all of Calgary was captivated by the project.
Calgary’s new Central Library
My husband and I were two of the lucky people who were able to take part in a small private tour of the library one evening, a few weeks before opening day. Our little group had the entire building to ourselves as we strolled around, except for some energetic folks hard at work unloading books. (There are 450,000 books in the new library, which weigh 180 tonnes.) Our tour was led by Bill Ptacek, the Calgary Public Library’s Chief Executive Officer, and Sarah Meilleur, the Director of Service Delivery for all our City Centre Libraries. Their passion for the new building was evident as they showed us around, all the while graciously answering our many questions.
Bill Ptacek and Sarah Meilleur; photos courtesy Calgary Public Library
Bill Ptacek explained how the goal of the new library is to provide lots of opportunities for learning experiences, for a very diverse range of people.
“We want a visit here to be filled with discovery and wonder,” said Ptacek. “That’s really what we’re trying to achieve here.”
Sarah Meilleur led us around the amazing variety of spaces in the building, from spacious gathering spots to intimate corners for quiet reading. She also pointed out how the interior “rises from being interactive on the ground floor, to more contemplative at the top.”
Ptacek and Meilleur reminded us that public libraries are some of the most democratic institutions anywhere, since they are meant to be open and welcoming for everyone. And libraries now are not just places to borrow books – more and more they are becoming hubs for building community, where visitors can meet new people, learn new skills and be inspired. In that sense Architectural Digest was right in describing Calgary’s new architectural gem as “a library of the future”, as it certainly fits into this new community model.
Calgary held an international design competition for the new library in 2013. The winning design was a joint project by international architecture firm Snøhetta and DIALOG, a Canadian firm with locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.
Snøhetta, originally based in Oslo, Norway, has designed several high-profile projects. Craig Dykers, the co-founder of Snøhetta, first gained architectural fame when in 1989, at the age of 28, he won the very competitive international bid to design perhaps the world’ most important library, the Alexandria Library in Egypt, near the site of the original ancient library built 2,300 years ago. Rob Adamson, the principal architect with DIALOG, was born and raised in Calgary. His firm worked 50-50 with Snøhetta to deliver the project from conception to completion.
Planning for the new library started back in 2004, though actual construction began a decade later, in 2014. The entire project cost $245 million. The site itself has long been considered one of the worst in Calgary, with a CTrain line (Calgary’s light rail transit system) running right through the middle. Despite the challenges, it was completed under budget and on time, miraculously sitting atop the CTrain line.
Over 16,000 Calgarians provided input into the kinds of features they wanted to see available in the building. Many of those features are not what you might expect in a library – like the Story Studio, where you can use a digital photo booth to snap pictures and record short videos.
Opening day celebrations on Nov. 1, 2018 featured tours, music performances, craft stations, free food, and special guest speakers – including former astronaut Chris Hadfield. More than 50,000 people visiting the new library over its first four days, and the general consensus was “WOW!”
From some angles, the new library reminds many people of a big ship. The outside surface of the
library glitters – its design is called a “curtain wall”, made up of 460 glass and aluminum panels, some clear, glazed or fritted. These panels are meant to reflect the light and colour of Calgary’s skyline, and they look amazing, especially on one of the sunny days that Calgary is famous for. The panels were fabricated by Calgary-based Ferguson Corporation, and took eight months to make.
Lots of people, myself included, have commented that the outdoor entryway, with its curving roof, reminds them of another distinctive Calgary weather feature – the Chinook arches which often grace the skies above our city and let us know that mild weather is on the way. The roof is lined with slats of red cedar, seamlessly “finger-joined” by B.C.’s StructureCraft. The tunnel-like passage is not only gorgeous, but it also acts as a pedestrian thoroughfare, linking the East Village and downtown Calgary.
As visitors walk into the large, impressive central atrium (called the Shaikh Family Welcome Gallery), they can see all the way up to the Oculus skylight, which is lined by panels and slats of white oak. The name Oculus means an “eyelike opening”, but I was reminded of a canoe! Western hemlock softwood, native to the West Coast, lines the walls of the atrium area. All this lovely wood and light brings a warmth and delightful naturalness to the setting – and, like many other big beautiful architectural spaces, it’s pretty awe-inspiring.
Near the main entrance is a rather curious vertical runway encased in glass. It’s the library’s “Bookscalator” and is quite mesmerizing to watch, as returned books move along a conveyor belt to the Level 2 sorting room.
On this level you will also find the elegant Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall. Conrad Whelan, formerly the lead engineer for Uber, grew up in Calgary. He recently made the very generous decision to support the new library and at the same time honour his mother’s memory and her love of reading by donating $5 million to the Calgary Public Library Foundation. The donation is the largest that the organization has ever received. In return, the foundation christened the library’s new concert venue after his mother, who died last year. The performance hall, which seats 400 people, will be well-used for author readings, concerts, special speakers, conferences, and other events. It can be booked by Calgarians and organizations for very affordable rates.
Visitors can then take the elevator up from the atrium, or stroll along a long, gentle curving ramp that leads you around the inner edge of the building to the upper floors.
The first level features a café run by Gareth Lukes, already well-known to Calgarians for his trendy Lukes Drug Mart Stores. Besides this popular coffee-and-goodies spot on the first level, Gareth and his partner Chef Eric Henry have also opened an exterior, larger café at the northwest corner of the library. I love their coffee, and could very easily write a rave review about their pastries as well.
The first level also includes a 12,000 sq. ft. children’s library. There are sections for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, with an indoor playground, mini-climbing area and a nursing room. It’s really an amazing space, especially when filled with happy kids. You’ll see classrooms for school-age children, with interactive learning stations and other opportunities for fun early-literacy activities. Plus, this floor has plenty of books for kids of all ages, and a variety of reading nooks to sit and enjoy them. During one visit we chanced upon an old-fashioned “Story Time” in progress, with a crowd of wide-eyed toddlers glued to a storybook being read aloud with gusto by a staff librarian. I was also intrigued by the “Questionarium”, where older kids are invited to solve challenges through games and artmaking.
Continuing up to the second level is where you’ll find a communal space with fiction and literature collections, and numerous places to relax. These intimate spaces can be found throughout the new library: padded reading burrows, cosy booths for four, high-backed bowl chairs where two can snuggle, as well as plenty of chairs and tables sprinkled everywhere. There’s even a traditional tipi in the library, where visitors are invited to pop inside for a quiet, private time to rest or read. The laptop bars on Levels 2 and 3, which offer views of the skylight above and the atrium below, offer coveted spots to plug in your devices.
You can then head up the winding ramp to the third level, which welcomes teens in the Digital Learning Lab. Here you’ll find audio and video recording studios for wannabe filmmakers and podcasters, editing suites, video game stations, a Tech Lab with equipment ranging from sewing machines to robotics, and even a collection of board games. In addition, there are daily programs for teens, such as Open Lab and codeTEEN, as well as homework support. But that’s not all. There are technology programs for people of all ages in the Norrep Foundation Tech Connect Studio, on topics including Microsoft Office, basic computing, and more. In fact, there are over 200 computers available here for the public to use, which is a huge support for anyone who might not have use of one otherwise. I was also impressed to hear that the new library has over 30 meeting rooms that community groups – or in fact any library cardholder – can book for free.
Level 3 is also the place where newcomers to Canada can take courses to improve their English speaking, reading and writing skills, or find out information about immigration, housing, employment, healthcare and childcare from Settlement Services. As well, Career Counsellors are available at the Drop-in Job Desk, to help anyone with job searching, networking, resume-writing and interview skills. Level 3 is a busy place, and seeing it in action – bringing support and new hope to so many people, young and old – is really a joy to behold.
And finally, there’s the fourth level, which boasts terrific views, especially of the city’s north and west end. This level also displays many fascinating items from the library’s archives, along with a wonderful local history collection called Calgary’s Story. There are also workspaces where an artist-in-residence, author-in-residence, and historian-in-residence will be available to interact with the public.
I particularly enjoyed the Vintage Media Lab on Level 4, though it made me feel a little ancient. It’s filled with equipment now considered part of history – but which I remember well – like typewriters, a book press, microfilm readers and a 16mm film projector. I also spied some of those little card catalogue drawers, which really brought back memories.
The TD Reading Room is tucked off to the side on the Fourth level. I fell in love with some famous Reading Rooms that I’ve encountered in my travels – the gorgeous old Reading Room in New York City’s Central Library; Dublin’s Trinity College Long Room that looks like something out of a Harry Potter movie; and the British Museum’s Reading Room in London (now unfortunately transformed into an Exhibition Hall), which in days gone by was regularly visited by famous figures such as Oscar Wilde, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling. Calgary’s new TD Reading Room might not be quite as grand as these others, but it still feels quite stately in its own unobtrusive way. Most importantly, it’s a peaceful, quiet spot for reading, research and thinking. I love the long tables custom-made from white oak…perfect for spreading out your books and papers.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fine works on display by First Nations artists. Six Indigenous artists, all from or with a connection to Treaty 7, contributed artworks for the new library. A large, colourful mural with three sections greets visitors in the atrium. It was painted by Keegan Starlight (whose student work we featured in a 2014 Kolbe Times article), Kalum Teke Dan, and Roland Rollinmud.
Up a few stairs in the concourse area is a stunning metal sculpture of a buffalo by Lionel Peyachew, made up of letters that spell out various words in Indigenous languages.
On Level 4, Glenna Cardinal has created a beautiful table and furniture for the Elders’ Guidance Circle, which is accompanied by a large photo and text-based piece by Brittney Bear Hat.
I know that I and many Calgarians will be proudly showing off our new Central Library to visiting friends and relations for years to come. The variety of spaces within it invite creativity, connection, and learning – and the building itself is truly a revelation of good design and engineering.
All photos of the Central Library by Bill and Laura Locke.
