An oversized folding roof is a kind of exclamation point on the busy Marrickville Rd, in Sydney’s inner west. It’s a beacon of change, for what used to be a humble little library. Set back from the street by a lush sunken lawn, the floating roof canopy sits atop huge timber columns, providing shelter, connection, and a dramatic welcome. It’s eye-catching and proud. And it’s gained iconic status already, amongst the community.

Inside, Marrickville Library is a mecca for book lovers. It’s also a leisure space, workplace, family zone and study nook. A hub for many different people in many different ways.

Enter, and immediately you’re basking in sunlight. Double and triple-height spaces create a vast open foyer with warm wood tones. There are skylights for extra illumination, and a large timber auditorium staircase with comfortable, cushioned seating. Sculptural open-air verandas, a suspended bridge and connective spaces reveal activity everywhere.

The brief called for a style that would entice people for study, work and events as much as for library services. We brought our insights from workplace and school design to create a space that met deeper needs: bringing people out of their homes, giving them opportunities for connection and independence, then surrounding them with natural light, fresh air and warm colours.

The original hospital ward building now houses the main library collection and administration. The old veranda has been restored and adapted for outdoor reading areas.

The visible connections between heritage hospital and contemporary library are overt on purpose: designed to be a dialogue between past and present.

The striking rooftop of the entry echoes the shapes of the original. New library floors connect to the old hospital building via a suspended glazed walkway on level one. Generous floor to ceiling windows link the new library spaces to the old building. And a long, narrow skylight runs along the roofline of the hospital’s original slate tiled roof, bringing sunlight into the main atrium. The adaptation gives new life to the old, strengthening its bones and bringing it into another century, for another generation.

Marrickville Library is uncompromising on sustainability. The bricks of demolished buildings on the site were recycled for reuse in the retaining walls and forecourt paving. We incorporated natural and mixed-mode ventilation and rainwater tanks. We reduced solar gain with overhangs and sun shading, used recycled timber and low maintenance planting. The result: a sensitive heritage adaptation, an environmentally friendly contemporary design and a 25% reduction in ongoing energy use.

Marrickville Library has won the hearts of its community and continues to entice first timers and new regulars. For us, it’s a showcase of sensitive and sustainable adaptation. Honest, inclusive and full of joy.