A LIBRARY IN THE HEART
OF BROKEN HILL
A timeless library in the heart of Broken Hill, adjoining an additional writer’s residence and the existing Charles Rasp Library.
The facade is constructed in rammed earth for its low embodied energy, natural beauty, and sculpting properties. Depth, created through the wall thickness and an interplay with light, emboldens one’s experience as they traverse through the aisles. The repetitive arch imprinted into rammed earth, either through openings or niches, give the classic shape a modern twist. On the north and west facade, the tunnel-like windows reveal a wall with strategically varied thicknesses, in response to the harsh solar conditions. The calculated angles of these openings control the direct sunlight permitted into the main reading room. Each openings’ frame is rebated into the rammed earth, making frames invisible from the exterior. Reading nooks are nestled within these arched openings on the western facade. This makes it so that as you would approach the main reading room, the floating bookshelves frame each nestled nook, enticing you to sit, rest, or read. |
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