State Library of Queensland
Donovan Hill + Peddle Thorp · Brisbane, Australia · 2006
The 2006 redevelopment of the State Library of Queensland transformed an earlier institutional building into a more open civic complex connected to the Brisbane River and surrounding cultural precinct. Donovan Hill and Peddle Thorp introduced large shaded public terraces, an internal atrium and expanded reading, exhibition and community spaces. The project emphasizes permeability and informal occupation rather than the traditional library as a closed repository. Its layered circulation and subtropical environmental response make the library a significant example of adaptive reuse in contemporary Australian public architecture.