Toowong Municipal Library, Heritage library site in Toowong, Australia.
The Toowong Municipal Library is a twelve-sided former library at 579–583 Coronation Drive, Toowong, designed by James Birrell and built by Stuart Brothers in 1961. Its walls slope outward with diagonal external framing, and the timber, glass and steel upper form sits on an organic brick base. The shape reads like a flying saucer and is identifiable from 300 metres along the road.
The library opened in April 1961 as the largest suburban library in Brisbane, built by Stuart Brothers to serve the western suburbs. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 August 1998. In 2001 the library moved to Toowong Village Shopping Centre, and the building has since been used as business premises.
The building shows 1960s modern design through its twelve-sided shape and use of materials typical of that era. This geometric form was an unusual choice for a public library at the time.
The former library stands at 579–583 Coronation Drive and has housed business premises since the library moved to Toowong Village Shopping Centre in 2001. Its twelve-sided form, with walls sloping outward, can be picked out from about 300 metres along the road.
The building appears to float thanks to its steel-frame construction resting on a brick base, showing early engineering innovations from that era. This layered design was an experimental approach for public buildings at the time.
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