A new $9.15 million library featuring an innovative circular design and green rooftop in Drysdale town centre is nearing completion.
Mayor Trent Sullivan and Bellarine Ward Councillor Jim Mason today joined State Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant MP and Vanessa Schernickau, Chief Executive Officer Geelong Regional Library Corporation, for a special preview of the facility.
The new library, jointly funded by Council ($8.156 million) and the Victorian Government ($1 million), will provide communal multi-purpose spaces, quiet study areas, an adult changing places facility, an internal courtyard garden and a City of Greater Geelong customer service point.
The first of its kind in the Greater Geelong region, the library features 4,300 plants, including18 different native species on its rooftop, providing habitat for birds, bees and butterflies.
With the opening scheduled for April, the community will soon be enjoying this contemporary space.
The library's name, Boronggook (Bo-rong-gook), is the traditional Wadawurrung name for the area and means 'turf'.
Sitting atop Drysdale Hill at 10 Wyndham Street, the site was once the gathering place for Traditional Owners. This legacy has been translated into a modern concept, with the circular design incorporating a terraced amphitheatre.
Mayor Trent Sullivan:
We are pleased to see the new Drysdale Library nearing completion.Without a doubt, this space will provide a focal point for Drysdale and surrounding communities by bringing people together.
Councillor Jim Mason:
From our visit we got to see and learn about the library's innovative features, the green rooftop, brickwork façade and different internal aspects of the library such as the central courtyard and quiet spaces, all of which are complimented by views of the surrounding parkland.It's a really unique building and I hope it inspires the design of other new buildings in the region.
Vanessa Schernickau:
The new Boronggook Drysdale Library will be an incredible asset to the local community – from the dedicated children's space to the thousands of new collection items to the rooftop garden.While our libraries will always provide spaces for people to read and connect to free Wi-Fi, libraries are no longer just about borrowing books. Our vast range of programs and events appeal to people of all ages, from vital early literacy programs to cyber safety sessions to craft sessions where people gather to create, but more importantly to connect.
New libraries such as Boronggook have been designed with new ways of working in mind – there are light filled spaces to work and collaborate and affordable meeting rooms available to hire.
We can't wait to open the doors and welcome people into the incredible new Boronggook Drysdale Library.
