Liverpool Civic Place and Yellamundie Library | fjcstudio

Liverpool’s Civic building, lost to fire, prompted a transformative initiative at the southern end of the CBD. A new Civic Place includes a unique 21st-century library, Yellamundie, and Civic Building. Inspired by the gentle curve of the Georges River, Yellamundie’s curvilinear design invites pedestrian flow and connectivity. Set at the terminus of tree-lined Macquarie Street, it harmonises with the Civic Foyer that references Greenway’s local heritage buildings. The library’s curved form, reflecting the river’s eddies, fosters gathering and embraces a timber-decked gathering garden and sunken courtyard. Within the plaza, a grove of resilient Crepe Myrtles combats heat island effects, and reinforces the strong Hoddle-like city grid. Integrating much of the 5,000sqm library beneath the plaza presented an urban challenge, resulting in generous on grade public domain from Scott Street. Liverpool Civic Place uniquely resolves complex urban challenges to offer invaluable social infrastructure to an increasingly dense Western Sydney city.