Designing an imaginative children’s library and literacy centre

Abstract

Free public libraries play an important role in communities by providing the space, materials, and resources that families need to practise literacy. While children’s library services in Winnipeg exist within all library branches, children could benefit from a facility that is specifically designed to meet their preferences and needs. This practicum proposes that the historic Carnegie Library in Winnipeg, Manitoba should be renovated and repurposed as a library specifically for children and families. This practicum considered topics such as learning through play, autonomy and choice, fantasy, secret spaces, and place-making, as well as adaptive reuse of a heritage building to inform the final design proposal. Research for this project was conducted by analysing relevant literature, the building and site, and design precedents. A program was developed that took into account both human and spatial factors within the library. Ultimately, this practicum proposes a children’s library and literacy centre which responds to the needs of the surrounding community and the library’s main users through interior design.