Vancouver Public Library - Central Library

"The Vancouver Public Library (Central) is one of these places that demonstrates an inclusive comforting environment for everyone that walks in. It starts from the street level, where the building unwraps its arms to invite everyone in. The façade delaminates to reveal a set of automatically opening doors, that invites the street life into an indoor street. This is my favorite part of the building as it takes the concept of the Vancouver Street, and brings it into a indoor setting, away from the ever constant rain. This indoor street has a row of shops tucked into the wall, a open to below space that looks into lower into the library. And, I think most successfully there is a glass wall looking into the main levels of the library, in a similar way that the glass facades of the buildings border a street. From the sidewalk, into the indoor street and into the main library is an accessible experience with ramps, auto opening doors and consistent graded walks. This creates a fluent, accessible experience for everyone who comes across the building." (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.52). Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/aRAjeAq1qJExAM1r7