This is the second of a series of 4 posts on public libraries, three of the libraries are situated in Europe and this one is in Australia. Like some music to accompany you ?
During our 10-day stay in Melbourne, we often found ourselves drawn to the State Library of Victoria, just a short two-block walk from our city-center apartment. We spent time browsing its collection, primarily the new arrivals, exploring the landmark building, and checking out the exhibits and gift shop.
The State Library of Victoria located in the heart of Melbourne, is an architectural masterpiece that beautifully blends historical grandeur with modern innovation.
Designed by Joseph Reed, the same architect behind the iconic Melbourne Town Hall. The foundation stones were laid in 1854 and the library opened in 1856.
The library’s central feature, the La Trobe Reading Room, is an awe-inspiring sight.
This octagonal domed reading room, completed in November 1913, stretches 35 meters in height and in diameter, making it one of the largest reinforced concrete roof in the world.
Local architects designed the building, modeling it on the British Museum and the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
Desks of polished Queensland silky oak timber seated up to 320 readers and 300,000 volumes were originally housed on open shelves. The 480 glass panes in the dome provided the room with natural daylight.
The balconies overlooking the main reading room have rightly become Instagram-worthy spots. The arches and balustrades are perfect for framing people gazing thoughtfully into the expansive space and the readers below.
The Dome Gallery which circumscribes the reading room houses the World of the Books exhibition.
The introduction of the exhibition says:
Books are mirrors of many worlds: Worlds here and distant, past and present, real and imagined. Through text and image, they are conduits of ideas, knowledge and stories.
The exhibition showcases many of the rare, beautiful and historically significant books held in this library on behalf of the Victoria citizen community. A book by Cowley & Williamson documenting the exhibition is available at the bookstore. If the hardback book were not so heavy and bulky, we would have bought it.
This exhibition is a tribute to the enduring power of books. Visitors are invited to embark on a chronological exploration, delving into the fascinating evolution of book production, design, and illustration, from their earliest forms to the present day. Click the photo for a close-up view of a selection of pulp fiction from the 1950’s.
In the early 2000s, a major redevelopment project was undertaken to restore and modernize the library. The Cowen Gallery was constructed in 1892 for the National Gallery of Victoria, which occupied the building until 1968. The redevelopment seamlessly integrated contemporary design elements while preserving the library’s historical essence.
The gallery houses a permanent exhibition of selected artworks from the Library’s Picture Collection.
Refurbished in 2004, the Redmond Barry Reading Room houses the Library’s general nonfiction and Journals and Magazines collections. The original space opened as McCoy Hall, and from 1899 until 1997 it was home to the National Museum filled with natural history material (stuffed animals) gathered from all over the world.
The library shop is run by Readings – a popular local chain (we visited their main store in Carlton, just north of the city center).
They have great selections of books, bags, stationary, souvenirs and gifts (click photo for a close-up view).
Can’t resist including another photo of this magnificent space.
This is the second of a series of 4 posts on public libraries. The first post is also about a state library which is in Stuttgart, Germany.
Along a similar bookish theme, we have recently uploaded a series of three posts on small independent bookstores – Mount Zero in Hong Kong, La Flor de Papel in Santiago, Wardah in Singapore. Go take a look.