State Library of NSW

The State Library of NSW, an iconic institution in Sydney, has recently undergone a refurbishment with the aim to modernise its facilities, preserve its heritage, and ensure it continues to serve the needs of its patrons.

LCI’s involvement at the State Library of NSW included the development of a new 344 seat auditorium, new galleries, new rooftop bar, and refurbishment of the heritage Mitchell Reading Room.

This revitalised space allows visitors to immerse themselves in its profound history while enjoying contemporary amenities. Truly a harmonious blend of the past and the present.

There were many challenges faced during the design and construction of the State Library of NSW (SLNSW) Auditorium Project. It was a major undertaking to build a new 300+ seating capacity auditorium in the basement of the heritage-listed Mitchell Library, which opened in the early 1900s.  The Library remained open throughout the construction, imposing additional restrictions when working in a live building.

There were numerous structural issues in excavating the basement and propping up the structure during the construction of the new auditorium to provide the required height for the tiered seating needed for the auditorium.

Some of the major challenges encountered during the design and development phase of the of the new auditorium included:

• Finding a way of introducing the required fresh air into the auditorium and relieving the air from the space. Many options were assessed; the final solution was to provide a services tunnel linking the auditorium to the nearest plantroom for fresh air, with relief utilising an existing shaft that continued to the roof structure of the building.
• Acoustic constraints in the services to maintain low background noise in the auditorium to meet the acoustic consultant’s criteria. This was further complicated by the vibration and noise from train tunnels nearby, which required the auditorium construction to be vibration isolated from the supporting structure.
• Considerations for service demands in the new auditorium and strategies for effectively integrating these with the existing mechanical, electrical, fire, and hydraulic service networks within the building.
• Audio and Visual design to meet the client expectations for auditorium cinema standards, including service requirements such as projector cooling.
• Integrating the speakers into the architectural design and vision for the auditorium.
• Specialist lighting design to provide the desired ambience and integrating with the architectural feature ceilings and surrounding walls.
• Providing life safety fire services and essential services to meet the projects fire engineering requirements.
• Designing for disability access to the auditorium and support spaces.

The Auditorium was opened in October 2023 in a state public event and has been positively received by the public at large.

LCI was engaged to provide Mechanical, Electrical, Specialist Lighting, Audio Visual, Security, Hydraulics, Fire System Services.

Images courtesy of: David Liddle from Archival Heritage Photos