Sydney's Library and Plaza Winner Announced

Over 160 designs were submitted last year to the City of Sydney's international competition for a new library and plaza for the Green Square Town Centre, located halfway between the CBD to the north and Sydney airport to the south. From five shortlisted architects, the jury* selected the design of Stewart Hollenstein in association with Colin Stewart Architects.

Per the city's announcement: "The Stewart Hollenstein design redefines the traditional idea of a library, fusing a range of innovative buildings with the outdoor plaza to create multiple sites for play, work and rest. Some of the buildings are below ground while bookshelves sit outdoors in the plaza. The design includes an amphitheatre, a storytelling garden, water play zone and wide open spaces for festivals."

*The competition jury: John Denton, Chair; Glenn Murcutt AO, Architect/Academic; George Hargreaves, Designer/Landscape Architect; Rachel Neeson, Architect; Sharan Harvey, Librarian; Stuart McCreery, Buildability expert.

A video on "How the jury chose the winner of our Green Square Library and Plaza Design competition":