Laidley Library
Refurbishment

After the neighbourhood library in the small Queensland town of Laidley was flooded in 2011, Fulton Trotter Architects were invited by Lockyer Valley Regional Council to re-design the space. In 2012 after the building flooded again, a decision was made to relocate the library to higher ground by re-purposing some unused council owned offices. In 2014 we were approached to adapt this space and then supported the Council through 3 years of committed fund raising to bring the project to life.

A number of significant challenges were uncovered whilst consolidating the needs and expectations of the Laidley community through user group workshops. The library needed to provide all the functions of a major public library, including child-friendly spaces, study spaces, meeting spaces, and the collection.

The existing building structure provided a large volume in which a series of playful interventions were designed to highlight the different zones and functions. Coloured ribbon-like ceiling panels and natural timber provides warmth, while directing users through the space. A landscaped pocket park connects the library to the outside with a gently ramped walkway with tiered landscaped stairs.