Not too bad.
Click Here (http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/story/mb_millennium-library-20051108.html)
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/imagegallery/millennium2005/images/02.jpg
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/imagegallery/millennium2005/images/03.jpg
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/imagegallery/millennium2005/images/04.jpg
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/imagegallery/millennium2005/images/05.jpg
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/imagegallery/millennium2005/images/10.jpg

very cold...it looks small.

it's nothing like the vancouver one :O

very cold...it looks small.

it's nothing like the vancouver one :O

I'd expect a remark like that if this new library was in Victoria, but it's in Winnipeg!

Looks pretty good to me.

I must admit it does look a little sterile to me but when it comes down to libraries the main thing is functionality.
Inform me, is it a brand new building or an addition/upgrade of the old.

Looks a little bland on the outside but the interior looks nice, although there are no escalators? :?

Looks fine to me. Somewhat similar to one of the UBC ones.

Pretty nice, especially considering the limited budget of the project. I met Glen Murray the other evening. An interesting guy. Too bad he isn't still mayor.

I'm sort of surprised... what was wrong with the 'old' one? Was built in the 70's, and I wonder why it needed such a drastic reno.
If I guessed the architects were Smith Carter, would I be right?

Hmm, yes, a library.

where are all the books?

I like it. Where in Winnipeg is it?

looks good. the Toronto Reference Library in my opinion needs a renovation... all those mismatched carpetings and bad layouts. oh well... good library winnipeg!

I like it. Where in Winnipeg is it?

This is the main branch downtown

Looks a little bland on the outside but the interior looks nice, although there are no escalators? :?


ever heard of these?

http://static.flickr.com/28/61691795_1ad40fb5b0_o.jpg

Some more pics:


http://static.flickr.com/28/61691638_33093415cc_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/28/61691158_76e7095c62_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/26/61691159_5d84b49b62_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/29/61691161_1833205db9_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/28/61691163_191f85cf57_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/32/61691165_9f01854d1d_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/29/61691167_b38cd5c170_o.jpg

ever heard of these?

http://static.flickr.com/28/61691795_1ad40fb5b0_o.jpg

Yeah but I prefer to use escalators in libraries because you don't need to wait for them. Ah well it's just my own personal opinion. :)

Yeah but I prefer to use escalators in libraries because you don't need to wait for them. Ah well it's just my own personal opinion. :)

or you could just not be lazy and use the stairs!

Inside looks great but what were they thinking with that exterior. Looks an office building from the suburbs.

Is it connected over/underground to any major buildings?

or you could just not be lazy and use the stairs!
STAIRS??? Outrageous!!! :D

Yes, to the pedestrian walkway
http://www.downtownwinnipegbiz.com/inc/html/winnipegbiz/pix/map/parking_map_full.gif

Certainly not the results I was expecting. The interior feels like a parking lot. Unpainted cement walls, massive vertical cement stairs and bare walls. It almost looks unfinished. Is there more interior decorating to be done?

i love it!

I don't mind the cement walls. The fourth floor has a high ceiling, which is OK in MHO. Other than the current balcony overlooking the main entrance, I don't like what they did to the second floor skywalk. The designers should have kept the windows looking into the second floor. Now they replaced them with drywall. In fact there is too much drywall in the library. And a bit too much white paint was used. Otherwise this is an improvement to the old library.

I'm sort of surprised... what was wrong with the 'old' one? Was built in the 70's, and I wonder why it needed such a drastic reno.
If I guessed the architects were Smith Carter, would I be right?

the designers were patkau architects from vancouver...same firm who did the new library in montreal.

it was not simply a renovation...the library was expanded substantially....it is downtown, across from the new arena.

it is connected on the second level to the main urban skywalk system that leads directly to a large downtown mall and the arena on one side...the heart of commercial downtown the other.

there is no escalator, because the stairs are not simply intended to move people from one floor to the next, but moving between the floors is intended to be an experience as well....there are study areas off each landing where you can stop...escalators would have defeated the purpose.

it is hardly bland...the multi-level space is very dramatic, overlooking the parkspace through a 4 storey glass wall flooding the space with southern light.....exposed concrete doesnt equate to being bland or sterile.

the aesthetic is pure, clean and urban...there is no more "decorating" to be done.....the space is dramatic enough without debbie travis sponge painting on the walls.

on the exterior, the glass wall is very dramatic set within a downtown parkspace, which is to be redeveloped this year.....is is beautifully transparent at night......the existing street side is still 70's harsh.

it has already won national design awards.

The Graham Avenue elevation needs a glass wall...it is very dreary. I think it would be cool if there were some condos or apts. atop the building, too!