2.1K 
As a new library takes shape in Calgary, another Alberta library is about to undergo extensive renovations in Edmonton. The Stanley A. Milner Library, established in 1967, is the main facility for the Edmonton Public Library. Centrally located on the southern side of Sir Winston Churchill Square in the downtown core, the building serves as a social gathering place and cultural platform for a wide range of events and programs. But its interiors need upgrading and its unremarkable exterior is starting to look out of place in a modernizing Edmonton.
In the fall of 2014, City Council approved $62.5 million (CAD) for the renewal of the facility. The majority of the project's cost will be funded by the City of Edmonton, with the remaining $10 million collected through fundraising and community support. The revitalization will provide the one million visitors passing through its doors with an improved collaboration space and access to the latest technologies, like 3D printing.
Plans include tripling the size of the existing children's library from 4,000 to 13,000 square feet. Other proposed elements include a demonstration kitchen, additional private study and meeting spaces, a high-tech theatre to accommodate guest speakers and performances, and a multi-storey interactive simulation wall. New areas for music and art have also been proposed.
Toronto firm Teeple Architects is working with local office Tkalcic Bengert on the design. Renderings show the concrete facade of the current six-storey building replaced with a striated cladding system of glass and aluminum. Certain segments of the facade will employ a prismatic finishing that will change colour depending on the sun's placement in the sky. Other segments will feature large windows that allow the public to peer inside, especially from the adjacent square.
The facility held the name Centennial Library until 1996, when it was renamed to honour Stanley A. Milner, a philanthropist and champion of the Edmonton Public Library system. Library staff hope that the remodel will begin construction in 2017 and wrap up by 2020.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
