The Architecture of Knowledge

A year and half after the great fire of 1886, the Vancouver Free Reading Room and Library opened on West Cordova street with a donation of about 400 books by the Hastings Literary Institute, which had been set up as a library for mill workers. Thanks in part to a $50,000 donation by American steel magnet, Andrew Carnegie, a proper library building was built on Main St and Hasting St, beside the city's first city hall. According to the Wikipedia article from which I gathered all the facts found in this post, the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order set the cornerstone of the new building, and beneath it, they left a few goodies like masonic docs, the City’s Act of Incorporation, postage stamps, coins, and the complete secrets of the Illuminati (ok this last one I just made up). The building was made with locally sourced materials (e.g., granite, wood, and sandstone) and built in the ‘Romanesque Renaissance’ style that included a “domed Ionic portico and French mansard roof” (Wikipedia, 2023). The location of the library was moved in later years, then moved again in 1995 to its present location on 350 West Georgia st.

The Vancouver Library central branch is one of my favorite buildings in the city. It’s bold and beautiful, designed at a time when architects were not so infatuated with ugliness as an element of design. The fact that the public had a say may have to do with this. A competition was held to determine who would win the architectural contract. The public overwhelmingly (70%) chose the design by Safdi and DA Architects for being “unique, imaginative, exciting, interesting building” (Wikipedia, 2023). Library attendance is said to have increased by 800,000 after it opened. This building is really a testament to a city which once held the highest population of people who were more likely to read a book instead of interacting with each other while riding public transportation.

The project was not just a library but an entire block formally called The Vancouver Library Square, which in addition to housing the library also contained retail shops, services, restaurants, and government buildings. It’s an impressive structure that manages to look modern while paying homage to the Roman architecture (i.e., the Colosseum) on which the original building was based. Sitting there in the middle of this futuristic city, the building is almost anachronistic yet very much a part of its environment.

The square surrounding the building is a place for people to hang out, so it’s a communal space. As you approach the nine-story building, you see a set of tall glass doors that open onto a glass-roofed concourse.

This foyer area contains restaurants and services on one side and the library reception area on the other. So, you don’t necessarily have to be a library patron to visit this interesting building.

Study areas overlooking concourse

It’s difficult to describe the feeling one gets when navigating this space. It feels grand, as if you’re visiting an ancient place of learning. When the light filters through the glass roof, it creates a crisp naturally bright and cheerful atmosphere. This is one of those buildings that reminds you that architecture is a powerful force that can greatly shape how we experience daily life.