I attended the Melbourne Art Fair last week but took time out to look at the North Fitzroy Library by Group GSA. It was opened in April 2017 to much acclaim and the staff absolutely love it as does the community. It met with success at the 2018 Australian Institute of Architects Awards winning the Victorian Public Architecture Award and a Commendation for the Sustainability Award. At the time of my visit, the place was in full swing with all the study spaces and community rooms in use.

The building is located on a narrow, pointy wedge-shaped site bound by streets on the long north and south sides and a mixed-use building at the blunt western end. The long sides have been cleverly arranged to allow maximum natural light levels to permeate the whole of the interior. The pointy end is expressed as a semi-circular explanation mark formed with perforated metal and red brick. The return sides feature bold, texture finished precast concrete and brick punctuated with circular windows to a stairwell within. The long sides are predominantly glass protected externally by overlapping vertical, perforated screens and glass awnings that reflect the narrow facades of the 19th century shops on the opposite side of the strip. The really special thing about the place is its roof garden. This is no flat slab with a scatter of potted trees but a highly structured and beautifully detailed 3 dimensional adventure place spread over two levels offering places for quiet reading to children’s play areas.

This is one of those special projects that reflects the ideals of the profession – serving the community, making the world a better place through architecture in a sustainable and beautiful way.

Group GSA describe their project as follows “The North Fitzroy Library and Community Hub is a three storey, 2,040 sqm, 6 Star Greenstar facility incorporating a Library, Maternal Child Health Facility and a variety of Community focused facilities including a new home for the City of Yarra’s International House. Based on a neighbourhood house for seniors, the International House has become a cross generational meeting place for people of different cultures and ethnicities.

Designed with a strong focus on the user experience and flexibility, the floor plate displays a conscious distillation of cellular supporting spaces to the south and open flexible spaces to the north. The Library is distributed over two levels occupying the majority of the building’s wedge shaped floor plate. The first floor is divided between Maternal Child Health facilities, including two playgroup rooms and the Library reading area. Second floor features community facilities with large dividable spaces, commercial kitchen and shared community office. An extensive rooftop garden connects the northern portion of second and first floors via a cascading design of planters and informal seating. This Rooftop garden serves as an extension of both community and library spaces by providing a protected external garden space for interaction and study.”

Source: http://www.groupgsa.com/en/projects/north-fitzroy-library-community-hub/

Speaking of sustainability, advocacy and community good, the 2018 (just completed) Solar House Day initiative has been a wonderful success with the open house program being oversubscribed and the exhibition and Solar House Day lecture well attended with guest presentations by ACT Government Architect and Partner Townsend + Associates Architects, Catherine Townsend and Antonio Mozqueira, Senior Manager Climate Change Policy from the Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate. The Speed Date an Architect was a hit. So, it’s a sincere thank you to Shannon Battisson, Peter Overton, Jenny Edwards, Ric Butt, Andrew Verri, Robbie Gibson, Ian Brumby, Paul Barnett, Maria Filardo and Institute staff Liz, Francesca and Colleen for arranging the bus tours, speakers, open houses, lecture, exhibition and most importantly sharing their passion for sustainable housing.

Philip Leeson
6 August 2018