Toowoomba’s FANTASTIC new library due to open on February 27th, 2016.

Artists Impression of new Toowoomba Library

I fell in love with this building though there was some debate about the copper! But how can you not admire copper as a cladding. Copper adds life to a building and most of us know it’s been used for its durability for countless centuries. It appears that the many attributes of copper have captivated new age architects of every age. A new breed of designers have ventured into the past to bring copper‘s practical beauty to the present by cladding public buildings that now flash with a lustrous glow.

Excerpt from – New Toowoomba City Library to open on February 27
http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/

The Toowoomba Library while under construction – photograph www.thechronicle.com.au

The new $27 million Toowoomba City Library will officially open on Saturday, February 27.
Anticipation is building for the unveiling of the architecturally designed building, which will create a new community focal point for the inner city.

Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio said the new library would be the centrepiece of the Civic Square precinct and would change the way residents interacted with the Central Business District.
“The library will open for business on Saturday, February 27 at 9.30am as part of a week of festivities and events centred on the new Civic Square,” Mayor Antonio said. “There is one thing I am certain of, this part of the city will never be the same again. The inner city is going through an exciting transformation. The library and the new Civic Square mark the first step in the revitalisation of the inner city. This is a period of tremendous change and Council is leading the way. This building, with its striking copper façade, will become a beacon in the inner city. I do believe we now have a city heart of which we can be proud with the library as its heartbeat.”

Toowoomba Regional Council Library and Cultural Services portfolio leader Cr Ros Scotney said residents would be unable to enter the current Ruthven Street Library after its 4pm closing time on Sunday (February 14).

Cr Scotney said, “Residents will be able to continue using the after-hours return bin at 618 Ruthven Street until the new Toowoomba City Library opens at the corner of Herries and Victoria streets on February 27.”

Copper has been described as a noble metal and I read that it  resists corrosion and oxidation. I for one will enjoy my visits to the library just that little bit more as I take the time to reflect on the innovative thinkers who decided to clad the library with a material that has been used  for centuries as an aesthetically pleasing building material.

Official opening of the Toowoomba City Library

Date: Saturday 27 February 2016

Time: 9.30am to 4pm

Location: New City Library, corner of Herries and Victoria Streets

Tours of the new library building will run throughout the day as well as normal library services.