Surrey City Centre Library

The LEED® Gold Certified Surrey City Centre Library marks the next phase of a major civic investment in the transformation of downtown Surrey. With advances in easily available electronic information, the role of libraries is changing and the book collection is no longer the central focus. The building design evolved out of the need to provide a space for reading, studying, and above all, gathering as a community. The library features large windows, a welcoming entrance with clear sightlines that allow visitors to quickly orient themselves in the space, and an upward winding central atrium and two skylights that allow natural light into the building.

photography by © Ema Peter

Utilizing state of the art computer modeling software, BTA was able to ensure that the concrete formwork was highly efficient and easy to construct. The exterior concrete structure was carefully detailed as the final surface, thereby eliminating the need for expensive building cladding. The outward sloped walls also provide solar shading. Together with the Surrey librarians, BTA developed a social media strategy using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr to engage the community in the design of the building, encouraging the public to post comments and photos, thereby making the City Centre Library arguably the first public building in the world to be designed with the aid of social media.

photography by © Ema Peter

Project Info
Architects: Bing Thom Architects
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Architect in Charge: Bing Thom Architects
Area: 82000.0 ft2
Year: 2011
Type: Library
Photographs: Ema Peter
Budget: $26.5 million