Brisbane City Council – Carindale Library Extension

Premis was engaged by Brisbane City Council (BCC), to deliver the Carindale Library Extension.

The Carindale Library is located on the ground floor of the Carindale Westfield Shopping Centre. The project involved a partial refurbishment of the existing library, and an extension into the adjacent vacant shopfront.

The library was last upgraded in 2012 and these latest works will ensure the library continues to feature the facilities and services to meet the needs of the community now and into the future.

The extension has increased the existing space by 460 square metres. It provides new facilities, including a flexible space for library programs, quiet rooms and increased lounge and study seating, as well as an adult makerspace to support digital literacy and lifelong learning and kitchenette.

It is considered an unconventional design for a library, with bright bold colours throughout. Other features include high end lighting and IT capabilities and colourful acoustic panelling in the meeting rooms.

The project was completed as two separate portions: the vacant tenancy creating an extension to the library, and the part refurbishment to the existing space. The existing library needed to remain operational, requiring all works to be undertaken out of hours.

Water ingress issues were discovered in multiple locations, as well as mould. Premis worked in collaboration with both Scentre Group and Brisbane City Council to coordinate Hazmat Contractors, rectifying the issue quickly without delays to program.

Another challenge worked through by the team was related to the design and issues with ceiling heights and existing services, within the extension. This space was originally a carpark and as such ceiling heights were non-compliant and a rethinking and redesign was required. Premis worked with the design team and Brisbane City Council to come up with an appropriate solution that would allow for services to stay and be accessible in the future. Procurement was also a challenge with several items having long lead times, only exacerbated by COVID. We were able to suggest appropriate alternatives to keep the project on track and on budget.

Deliveries to site were challenging due to lack of parking during Shopping Centre opening times and height restrictions through the carpark area. Large deliveries were coordinated for after hours with smaller items being delivered using smaller vehicles and accessing via the carpark area. Another great Library project completed by Premis for Brisbane City Council and the local community.