New Caloundra District Library

Caloundra Administration Building is set to be a real page turner after council endorsed the detailed design for a new green-star, district level library 25 March 2021.

Over the past year, council has completed a detailed feasibility and preliminary design to repurpose the building into a new district:

• library
• customer service centre
• community meeting space
• small Council administration office.

The approved preliminary design pays homage to the building’s butterfly roofline and soaring ceilings. It responds to its locational advantages, in particular the neighbouring green space of Bill Venardos Park.

The establishment of a new contemporary district library in the heart of the Community and Creative Hub will create an integrated space. It will connect The Events Centre, a new Caloundra Regional Gallery, and the new town square, through to Bulcock Beach.

New District Library

The library will be the first new library for the Sunshine Coast Local Government area in more than 20 years.

Levels one and two will house a new contemporary district library. Included are a customer service centre, community meeting spaces and covered outdoor areas.

Council administration and three councillor offices will be on the top floor. The current council chambers and Beerwah Room, with their beautiful soaring ceilings, will become a large flexible community meeting room.

The library will draw you off the street into an outdoor, covered extension to the building. As you step into the foyer a wonderful void opens up connecting the first and second levels of the library. It will offer a place for all our residents to keep abreast of new technologies and innovations.

Floor area summary:

Level 1 (1788m²) – open foyer, event space with tiered seating, junior library, outdoor activity space and deck, young adult area, quiet space and magazine area, covered outdoor room and kiosk, customer service centre

Level 2 (1622m²) – large foyer and display area, main library collections area, reading lounge, sound recording room, makerspace and meeting rooms.

Level 3 (1806m²) – open foyer, event space, large flexible community meeting space (former Caloundra council chambers), outdoor meeting room, council administration offices.

Current Caloundra Library

Our current Caloundra Library has the highest visitation rate across all Sunshine Coast libraries. With population increases it won’t meet State Guidelines for floor area.

The current library building attracts approximately 305,000 visitors each year. We expect those numbers will increase when the new building is completed in 2023.

Increased population from Caloundra South will amplify demand on the current library. Its estimated that the new District Library will service a population of at least 102,000 people by 2031, until construction of a new library at Caloundra South.

Background

The building has served the former Caloundra City Council, Sunshine Coast Council and the community well over the past 25 years. It was time for major refurbishment to inject new life into the building, a new space for the community and to meet current building regulations.

Repurposing this building allows council to cater for our growing population in Caloundra and the wider Sunshine Coast community.

The library is part of a network of facilities for arts and cultural infrastructure proposed to respond to growth and demand and as outlined in the Regional Arts Infrastructure Framework and Library Network Plan 2019-41.

The detailed design will be carried out this financial year (2021/22). Funding is available in the 10-year capital works program for delivery.

More information

View the New Caloundra District Library factsheet[2041KB].

Download the Caloundra Library Brief[19902KB].

For more information about the current Caloundra Library visit the Libraries website.

Media Releases

New chapter for Caloundra’s council building

Council to determine future of new Caloundra District Library