Five recipients of 2016 OLA New Library Building Award announced

By Canadian Architect On Jul 14, 2016

Community development, new technologies and a commitment to environmentally sensitive design are just a few aspects recipients of the 2016 Library Building Award were judged upon. The Ontario Library Association (OLA) has announced five recipients of the distinguished award, which focused on New Library Buildings:

Centennial College Ashtonbee Campus Renewal & Library, MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects (MJMA)

Centennial College - Ashtonbee Campus. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association — Centennial College – Ashtonbee Campus. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association

Toronto Public Library Fort York Branch Library, KPMB Architects

Toronto Public Library - Fort York. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association — Toronto Public Library – Fort York. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association

Haliburton County Public Library, HavenCraft Designs

Haliburton County Public Library. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association

Ryerson University Student Learning Centre, Zeidler Partnership Architects in Association with Snøhetta

Ryerson University Student Learning Centre. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association

Toronto Public Library Scarborough Civic Centre Branch, LGA Architectural Partners in joint venture with Phillip H. Carter

Toronto Public Library - Scarborough Civic Centre. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association — Toronto Public Library – Scarborough Civic Centre. Photo courtesy of Ontario Library Association

The 2016 award presentation was made at the Annual Institute on the Library as Place, held at the Sheridan Conference Centre in Oakville, Ontario on July 7 and 8. The OLA Library Building Award encourages and showcases excellence in the architectural design and planning of libraries in Ontario. The award is divided into two alternating categories (Library Architectural and Design Transformation, and New Library Buildings) and runs every third year to allow a critical number of projects in all types of libraries to accumulate.

“The award recipients, along with their architectural firms, have created wonderful spaces that have become tremendous community assets,” said Shelagh Paterson, executive director of OLA. “They have shown that libraries can be well-designed places for play, energy, serenity and excitement.”