| Architect: J.H.(Jiggs) Cook and
Associates of Calgary. This architectural firm also
designed Toronto Dominion Square, Transalta, Nova and the
Calgary Herald Building completed in 1981.
Contractor:
Poole Construction
Company Limited (south side), Cana Construction (north
side)
Original
cost:
$1.2 million (south), $2
million (north extension)
Construction materials:
Reinforced concrete and
steel (south), post and beam (north).
Original interior
details:
Six storeys. In 1963 the
sixth floor included a 210 seat circular auditorium
complete with stage and a movie projection room, teak paneled board room, public meeting rooms, executive and
administrative offices. Fifth floor - workshop area for
receiving, cataloguing, processing of materials and
equipment for repairing and rebinding damaged books.
Third floor - fines arts and recreation section with
records, films and listening room. Second floor -
reference and technical library with "photo-electric
copying service" for the public. Main floor - adult
fiction and browsing area complete with easy chairs.
Basement - children's section, story telling room and
newspaper reading room. Innovative features included the
book chute and central vacuum cleaner. "The interior
designers used an orange, gold and blue-green color plan,
with teak book shelves and catalogue cabinets. Nsugahyde
upholstery, white formica tables and blue and nutmeg
carpeting and airy saranette drapes complete the
scheme."
Historical highlights:
- Serious discussions
about the construction of a new Central Library
began in 1954. Suggestions were made for
additions to Memorial Park Library or demolition
of the sandstone structure built in 1911-12 to
accommodate a new structure. At the same time
alternate sites were proposed, including Mewata
Park.
- Plebiscites in 1955
and 1956 defeated proposals for a new Central
Library. Considerable controversy erupted over
the proposed downtown site.
- January 31, 1962
construction contract awarded to Poole
Construction Company Limited, the lowest of 12
bids.
- Construction began
February 1962 with removal of asphalt from the
property which had formerly been the site of a
service station.
- Officially opened
Saturday June 15, 1963 by Alberta's
Lieutenant-Governor J. Percy Page, the library
housed close to 100,00 books and a full-time
staff of 41.
- The building was
part of a group of newly constructed buildings
which included the police station, city
administration building and a renovated city
hall.
- In 1974, a 6 storey
addition, the same size as the 1962 building, was
constructed to the north, on the site of the
former Nagler's Furniture Store. The expansion
which included a second floor theatre to seat
500, resulted in the rearrangement of departments
and the moving of more than a million items.
- The addition was
officially opened April 21, 1974 by renowned
Canadian author, W.O. Mitchell and renamed the
W.R. Castell Central Library in honour of the
Director of Libraries 1945 - 1972.
- In 1990 renovations
included upgrading of mechanical and electrical,
reorientation of the front entrance and interior
alterations designed to meet the library and
information needs of Calgarians at the
"busiest public library in Canada."
- In addition to the W.R. Castell Central Library, Calgary Public
Library currently has seventeen branches located
throughout the city.
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