Name of the Library: Katoomba Library
Parent Organisation: Blue Mountains City Council
Street Address: 30 Parke St Katoomba NSW 2780 AUSTRALIA
Postal Address: Blue Mountains City Council Locked Bag 1005 Katoomba NSW 2780 AUSTRALIA
Telephone : +612 4780 5750
Web Address: http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/yourcommunity/library or http://bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au/new-katoomba-library/
Library Email: library@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Type of Library: Joint use
Population served: 15,000
Project Type: New Building
Size: (square metres): 896m2
Date of Completion: November 2012
Architect: Building by Hassells Architects
Interior Design & Fitout by CK Design International
Description
With a panoramic vista as the backdrop, the Blue Mountains City Library opened the new Katoomba Library branch on Saturday 17 November, 2012.
Situated within the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, the Library boasts the best views of any Library in the southern hemisphere. With plenty of natural light and lots of comfortable spaces for diverse community activities, it is also the first new library to be built in the Blue Mountains for over 30 years. The design, developed by CK Design International, is elegant and spacious, taking advantage of the location to provide breath-taking views of the Katoomba Township and the Jamison Valley beyond.
Since the grand opening, there has been a steady stream of members and visitors, with new membership rates across the library network increasing by up to 87%. Fortunately, the new building has nearly 3 times more space to accommodate this increase! Numbers through the door doubled immediately and have continued to grow, month by month!
The new library includes adjustable meeting rooms, an inviting children’s area with specialised seating, and a mezzanine level with a brilliant view and lots of comfortable lounges allowing people to sit back and appreciate living in a World Heritage listed area. A laptop bench with plenty of access to power points and an increase in the number of computers available to the public have quickly proved themselves to be valuable aspects of the new library.
Meeting rooms host a number of events, from Author talks, to book launches, Poetry Slams, Children’s School Holiday activities, Storytimes, writing workshops, book groups and so much more. The Library has become an integral community hub.
If you haven’t had a chance to see this impressive new building yet, it is well worth a visit. Make a day of it and browse the library, tour the Art Gallery and Blue Mountains World Heritage Exhibition, get lunch or a coffee from the Cultural Centre Café.
Awards, case studies, further information
http://sourceable.net/green-interior-awards-winners-announced/
The overall winner, and winner of the Education category, was the impressive design by CK Design International of the Katoomba Library. A playful and inspiring interior, the judges commented, “How wonderful that a public project was able to be created into a comfortable healthy space that feels like you are in your own living room. The coupling of green interior products and design in this public building enables an extended reach of education about sustainability.”
1001 Libraries to see before you die 
2 thoughts on “Katoomba Library, NSW, Australia”