Picture a rooftop terrace, commercial kitchen and auditorium in this dreamy new library.
We all love a good library. Libraries lift communities up, remove barriers to education and employment, provide excellent places for social interaction and overall, are just good, wholesome places to be. Plus, being able to read as many books as you want for free? Swoon. Well, now a massive community hub is coming to Queen Victoria Market, and in it, you’ll soon find a brand new library. This library could open as early as the start of 2023.
Queen Victoria Market Library
At the corner of Queen and Therry Streets, on Queen Victoria Market’s doorstep, a new community hub is coming. This hub, known as the Munro site, finished its construction in September and features five storeys. Three floors of this hub will be devoted to the new Queen Victoria Market library.
“We’re expecting 24,000 new residents in the area by 2040, so we want to provide additional community facilities to meet the needs of a growing population,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
“The Munro community hub location will make it easier for local residents to access library services, while also driving visitation to the precinct and encouraging creativity and innovation.”
This new library will be the seventh one in the municipality. The 3,100m² space will include a dreamy rooftop terrace for outdoor reading and activities. It will also have new community spaces, meeting rooms, commercial kitchen and auditorium. The library will also be designed with input from First Nation peoples.
According to Creative Melbourne portfolio lead, Councillor Jamal Hakim, almost 1.5 million people a year visited the City of Melbourne’s libraries before the pandemic.
“They provided free access to more than 230, 000 physical items,” said Councillor Hakim. “Libraries are an important part of our social and economic infrastructure, providing valuable places for people to connect and access services.”
Apart from the library, the Munro site will also feature retail outlets, a boutique hotel, residential apartments and community meeting spaces.
For more information about the new library, click here.
To learn more about the Munro site, click here.