Craigieburn Library stands out as a significant modern construction with a strong, recognisable architectural concept that is characterised by a simple design using few but powerful materials. The building’s main form, with its long horizontal lines, has a clear reference to the Australian landscape, so that the building is beautifully balanced with its surroundings. The landscape is also the inspiration for the choice of materials, and the use of locally-sourced rammed earth gives the facade a light and warm setting, staging the building as if it has shot up through the soil.
It is also of great architectural value that the building is oriented in such a way as to take account of the Australian weather with its burning sun. This can be seen in the way the building opens up towards the north with large glass windows that make the building seem welcoming and inspiring to the surrounding community. At the same time, the large roof louvers create a natural transition from the outside to the inside and provide a powerful and aesthetically shade far into the building.
The use of the same few materials in the exterior as well as the interior creates a natural harmony and, thanks to the large glass panels, the barrier between outside and inside almost seems to dissolve. The proportions of the simple grid system combined with the customised spaces in different scales ensure that the architecture relates to the human scale.