ZEBROSKI  ASSOCIATES  LTD

INSTITUTIONAL  PROJECTS - LIBRARY
PORT  ROWAN  PUBLIC  LIBRARY; Port  Rowan, Ontario, Canada: 

The original Library was a gift to the Town made in 1936 by the Killmaster family. It was a residential style building with 60 m2 (640 sq.ft.) on each of two levels located in the heart of the Town on the main street.

The Client felt that the library had to remain in the core and because of the absence of other downtown sites, the excellent condition of the original building and the historical and emotional value of the original building, the design which evolved was to wrap this building inside of a new structure.

The 224 m2 (2,410 sq.ft.) of new space on the main level contains the circulation desk, stacks, computer stations, office and hc washroom. The original building sits half a level out of the ground and so a lift was incorporated to provide access to all levels. The original library was converted to a multi-purpose room with the original porch and porch roof being visible inside the main stack area.

In the basement 60 m2 (640 sq.ft.) of space was added including an Archives room to hold the communities history. The original basement contains the public washrooms and mechanical spaces.

The new building offers a contemporary front to both streets which is appropriate in both scale and detail for while allowing the original building to read as a separate element on the south facade.