Bloor/Gladstone Library, Public library in Toronto, Canada.
Bloor/Gladstone Library is a public branch combining red brick heritage architecture with contemporary glass structures along Bloor Street West. Inside, visitors find open-concept reading areas, computer workstations, and a sheltered garden court that brings daylight into the interior spaces.
This branch opened in 1913 when Toronto City Council funded a new library serving the Dovercourt neighborhood. A major renovation in the early 2000s transformed it into a contemporary facility while respecting its heritage character.
The library's 1913 Italian Renaissance design includes two fireplaces flanked by sculpted angel faces and non-structural interior brackets. Its services range from children's and adult programs to homebound delivery and interlibrary loan, and the 2006–2009 renovation added a glass box addition while lowering the main entrance by about half a metre.
The library has accessible entrances and elevators for all visitors, with most spaces on ground level or easily reachable. Parking is available nearby on surrounding streets.
The 2006–2009 renovation added a glass-box extension and lowered the main entrance by about half a metre. The architects involved were RDH Architects, Shoalts and Zaback, and ERA. The earlier 1975–1976 renovation by Howard V. Walker and Howard D. Chapman changed the interior plan while leaving the façade almost intact.
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