Vancouver Library Square

The Vancouver Public Library is the third largest public library system in Canada, with over 395,000 cardholders and more than 8 million item borrowings annually. Funded by the city of Vancouver, it looks like no other library in existence, and doesn’t look much like a library, which is why it’s such an interesting tourist attraction.

The location is actually more than just the library. The Vancouver Library Square is the largest capital project ever undertaken by the city of Vancouver. It occupies a full city block and consists of a seven-story rectangular block containing book stacks and services. The highlight of the project is a free-standing elliptical colonnaded wall that contains reading and study areas accessed by bridges spanning skylit light wells from the central pavilion. The roof of the library serves as a large public garden, an example of Moshe Safdie’s, the designer who beat out many others, efforts to introduce garden elements into urban settings, designed by Vancouver landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander. Most people say it reminds them of a Roman Coliseum than of a library. Overall, the entire structure is 9 stories high. The library officially opened in May 1995.

The Library Square is also home to many federal government offices, and is also lined with many restaurants and cafes. The inclusion of the office tower was required to pay for it as part of a deal with the federal government to obtain the land; the federal government has a long term lease on the high rise office tower portion of the project.

It’s proximity to both GM Place and BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver makes it an ideal place to visit, especially with the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to town, and there are many hotels in the area that can satisfy the needs of any traveler. Some of these hotels are: Opus Hotel; Sandman Hotel Vancouver City Centre; Hampton Inn And Suites By Hilton; St Regis Hotel; Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver; Dominion Hotel; Le Soleil Hotel And Suites; The Westin Grand Vancouver; L’hermitage Hotel; Delta Vancouver Suites Hotel; Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver; Comfort Inn Downtown Vancouver; and the Days Inn Downtown.