Each year over 1.2 million Sydney residents visit the city’s nine library branches, borrowing more than 1.3 million items. To accommodate the strong demand for library services, The City of Sydney and Lendlease have recently unveiled a brand new $10 million library as part of the $3.4 billion redevelopment of Darling Harbour. The official opening ceremony was celebrated by hundreds of attendees, including Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

“I’m proud of the City’s collaboration with Lendlease, and very excited to open such a beautiful and creative new library inside this spectacular building. I’m certain that Darling Square Library will quickly become the community’s living room, open for everyone to enjoy.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore

The new library is located over two floors of The Exchange building and replaces the former Haymarket library.

Designed by BVN with the exterior shell by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma, the new building is four times larger than its previous counterpart and will meet the needs of the approximate 4,200 residents and 3,000 office workers.

“We are delighted to see the building already full and being embraced by the community from the minute it opened its doors. The space is designed to make people feel welcome and connected to one another and their community, to support the library’s ongoing programs and to enable continual adaption.”

Abbie Galvin, BVN Principal

Darling Square Library will also house a collection of more than 30,000 items (including an Asian literature collection), bookable meeting rooms, intuitive digital technology, workspaces, public computers with free wifi, children’s area (with bilingual rhyme-time and story-time sessions) and a 200 square metre Ideas Lab for hands-on workshops and events.

“More than ever, libraries are being recognised as cultural destinations alongside museums and galleries, and in a time of rapid population growth, they provide much needed space for people to connect, learn and relax.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore

Over the past 5 years, the City has invested over $114 million in new library collections, technology, infrastructure and operations. Currently, library members have access to a collection of over 400,000 books, CDs and DVDs and courses, including the award-winning Late Night Library programmes.

Lead image: Darling Square Library courtesy of The City of Sydney