Location: Toronto, Ontario

Architecture Practices: Ken Fukushima Architecture in association with David Fujiwara Architect

This project involved the conversion of a portion of a closed grocery store in a suburban shopping mall into an expanded neighbourhood branch library, creating a welcoming entrance from inside the Bridlewood Mall. The Toronto Public Library’s Bridlewood Branch boasts an improved exterior frontage through the reconstruction of the exterior wall to incorporate branding, signage, lighting, increased exposure, views, and a new entrance directly into the library from the parking lot. The design creates a variety of adaptable spaces to accommodate collections, study and lounge seating, and the staff work areas that serve to support the services and programs offered.

The exterior storefront is a testament to environmentally responsible design: the vertical solar panel installation, with integral programmable LEDs, creates a visual reference to rows of books by day and opens up into a Northern Lights dreamscape at night. The interior is inspired by great spaces of historic libraries and community history, creating a unique and relevant expression for this neighbourhood. The expanded library provides needed space for a Youth Hub for neighbourhood teens, more programs for seniors, a Computer Learning Centre, a Virtual Interview Room for job-seekers, a KidsStop Early Literacy Centre in the Children’s Area, and a secure exterior Reading Garden for children as well as for other library functions and events.

 

Jury Comments

"An imaginative example of a sustainability strategy that uses vertical solar panels as a primary design tool to create an identifiable, visually striking, and powerful transformation of a banal shopping centre into an attractive library hub."

 

Check out our BLOAAg article for more information.

Publish Date : 2026/Jun/15