Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Located in the City of Brampton, about 45 minutes west of Toronto, RDH Architects’ Springdale Library and Komagata Maru Park provide the suburban community with a new public library and community park.
For their sensitive design approach, Springdale Library and Neighbourhood Park were recently awarded with a 2020 International Architecture Award from The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum.
The architects’ goal was to create an inclusive gathering place, a counterpoint to the otherwise flat suburban area, and a point of pride for the city.
The project site was physically constrained framed by a commercial plaza to the east, a main road to the south, and a natural ravine to the north and west.
The architects positioned the library as close to the street as possible, in order to solidify the building’s presence with the street, preserve the site’s natural topography and irrigation patterns, and channel interior views towards the ravine.
This siting also maximized room in the rear for a neighborhood park and a parking and drop-off sequence with a canopied entry forecourt.
The project is as much about a building as it is about establishing a landscape: from the organically shaped perimeter that joins building and courtyards; and the creation of an undulating topography between the fluidly shaped ceiling and mountainous green roof, and the sloping floor slab of the interior and the flat landscape of the park.
The neighborhood park is comprised of a series of terraced contemplative gardens for older users, a splashpad, and a children’s play area.
The splashpad and play area have been organized around the word “Imagine.”
The five-meter-high letters are oriented in both horizontal and vertical planes and become an interactive feature for the children to discover.
The interior program is comprised of 20,000 sqft of library program space, combined with a 5,000 sqft community multi-purpose room.
The architects also created a solar-responsive ceramic frit pattern on the building’s windows. Its striated patterns range from white to dark gray expanding and contracting based on solar orientations, while also visually merging with a series of stainless steel rods that add an additional layer of solar resistance while supporting the glazed units and forming the courtyard enclosures.
These elements are conceived as a functional abstraction of two combined metaphors: the turning pages of a library book and the trunks of trees in a forest.
Each element of the library, detailed in scope, highlights RDHA’s practice of applying conventional budgets and materials to design unconventional buildings.
Expressing inclusivity, innovation, dedication to learning, collaboration, curiosity, courage, and accountability, the new building reflects the vision of the institution.
New Springdale branch provides Brampton Library with an emboldened presence and a valuable resource to the Springdale community.
The librarian states that the stunning architectural features of Springdale Branch Library stand out, raising awareness and building excitement for what libraries do.
Project: Springdale Library and Neighbourhood Park
Architects: RDH Architects (RDHA)
Clients: City of Brampton and Brampton Library
General Contractor: Aquicon
Structural Engineers: WSP Canada
Landscape Architects: NAK Design Strategies
Photographers: Nic Lehoux and RDHA
