increasingly, the role of the public architect is engaged not only in the design of new civic buildings and spaces but in the redesign and renovation of the existing ones. in the contemporary city adaptation, alteration and annexation are essential tools in the architect's repertoire. at the same time, the role of our civic institutions is changing. the public library, in particular, is undergoing significant transformations in use; changes rooting in fundamental shifts in technology, information and culture. this studio will look to explore these issues through a series of architectural interventions, additions and reconfigurations within the site of the State Library of Victoria, one of Melbourne's most significant civic institutions.

 

 between 2017 and 2019 the state library of victoria undertook a major renovation, focusing primarily on the refurbishment of internal spaces. the studio will take on a more radical and speculative brief for the library. Students will develop their own propositions for the state library - proposing urban, architectural, and programmatic inventions into the existing building. the studio will explore the potential of such inventions to reimagine the library's role in the city today. 

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throughout the semester students will closely examine the existing fabric of the library, its history, relationship to the surrounding city, and the role of the library in contemporary culture more broadly. these investigations will b the basis for a critical approach to design projects, informing architectural techniques for the new additions and alterations. students will also be required to develop an understanding of the history of the library as a specific architectural typology, and to negotiate the complex considerations that come with working on a significant public building. at the same time, the studio will encourage experimentation with formal, urban and programmatic strategies intended to reimagine the state library in a more open, diverse and contemporary form.