过去五年中，图书馆的原型发生了剧烈的变化。设计师与图书馆的领导团队紧密合作，创造了一个新的室内空间，体现了从“藏书”到“连接”的转移。项目需要在已有的外壳下为Bendigo的La Trobe大学建造一座新的图书馆。
The library typology has changed tremendously over the past 5 years. We worked closely with the leadership group of the library to create an interior that supported a conceptual shift from ‘collection’ to ‘connection.’ This project fundamentally involved the reworking of an existing shell to create a new library for the community of La Trobe University, Bendigo.
▼建筑外观，external view of the building ©Derek Swalwell
空间共有三层，包含入口展廊，咨询室，大学信息站，研究生休息室，会议室等功能，同时要将重要的“Sandhurst”藏书整合展示在其中（主要藏书被设置在建筑的其他地方）。业主热衷与挑战传统图书馆的设计理念。设计拥抱新的空间类型，将重点放在优化社区“连接”上，而非仅仅创造一些“藏书”空间。
Spread across three levels, the scope included an entry gallery, consultation rooms, ASK La Trobe information pods, postgraduate lounge, board room and integrated display of the seminal ‘Sandhurst’ book collection (the main book collection is elsewhere in the building). The client was keen to challenge the concept of a traditional library. We embraced the possibility of a new typology with a focus on facilitating community ‘connection’, rather than just spaces for book ‘collection.’
▼裸露的混凝土结构，exposed concrete structure ©Derek Swalwell
在已有建筑外壳下做设计总是充满挑战。在这样的条件下，再考虑到空间尺度，项目预算受到了极大的限制。设计需要对投资设定清晰的层级，在保证实现项目功能的同时，维持整体的概念。设计师将此问题看作了一次机遇，将室内部分空间留白，使其拥有了各种可能，暗示着乐观的未来。
Working within an existing shell is always highly challenging. The project budget was extremely constrained for a fitout of this nature and scale, and a clear hierarchy of investment needed to be established in order to deliver the functional aspects of the project without detracting from the overall concept. Rather than seeing this as a problem, we chose to see this as an opportunity to leave parts of the interior undefined and full of possibility, suggestive of a future imbued with optimism.
▼留白的空间，undefined space ©Derek Swalwell
在美学方面，设计让原有的天花和蛭石包裹的钢结构等主要元素保持未经修饰的状态。新介入的建筑元素被视作装置，与外壳脱离，成为独立于天花并漂浮在地面之上的自主物件。叠落式的胶囊空间沿主入口处的大楼梯布置，由半透明玻璃结构组成，藏书被严密保存于其中。被玻璃模糊的书脊成为了空间中唯一的颜色，如同工艺品一般包裹连接不同楼层的中央楼梯。透明、镜面和槽纹玻璃的组合在楼层中形成了一个万花筒，时而反射，时而通透，模糊走上楼梯的人影。对于设计师来说，新的图书馆空间也许正应该是自身的真实映射。
Our aesthetic approach was to leave key elements such as the existing ceiling infrastructure and vermiculite coated steel structure untouched and unadorned. The new architectural interventions were treated as installations clearly distinguishable from the shell, with autonomous objects separated from the ceiling and floating from the floor. Cascading pods adorn the grand stair from the main entry, formed by semitransparent, glass structures that house the secured book collection. Their blurred spines contribute the only colours of the space, reimagining them as artefacts surrounding the central stair that links the levels. Arrangements of clear, mirrored, and reeded glass create a kaleidoscope of reflection and transparency throughout all levels, blurring the figures of occupants as they make their way up through the interior. It felt fitting to us that a newly defined library space might literally be a reflection of itself.
▼中央楼梯和藏有书籍的胶囊空间 central staircase and pods with book collections ©Derek Swalwell
▼模糊的书籍成为空间唯一的颜色 blurred spines became the only color in the space ©Derek Swalwell
▼被玻璃模糊的人影，figures blurred by the glass ©Derek Swalwell
设计让许多原本的室内空间维持原样，一方面是出于成本的考量，另一方面也避免了不必要的介入和浪费。
As many aspects of the existing interior were retained or left exposed in their found state, driven both by cost constraints but also a desire to avoid waste and unnecessary interventions.
▼部分室内空间维持原样，part of the interior space left exposed ©Derek Swalwell
▼细部，details ©Derek Swalwell
Project size: 3150 m2 Site size: 3150 m2 Completion date: 2021 Building levels: 3