Halifax Central Library, Nova Scotia

Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
A Beacon for the City

Halifax Central Library is the most significant public building built in Halifax in a generation. It is a physical representation of the diverse communities, talents, and creativity of local residents. The prominent site, located in downtown Halifax, is bound by the heritage neighborhood of Schmidtville, the historic Citadel Hill, Dalhousie University School of Architecture and the busiest shopping street east of Montreal, Spring Garden Road.

The library building stands as a flagship for all 14 branch libraries servicing the entire municipality.
The construction of the library is cubic in form with four significant volumes vertically stacked with a horizontally twisted and shifted facade alignment.
The design is characterized by the top floor's cantilever over the entrance plaza, a central atrium crisscrossed by staircases, and the building's transparency and relationship to the urban context.

Project Team

People
Chris Hardie