‘Very proud of the work’: Richmond Hill’s Oak Ridges Library recognized for excellence in building design by Ontario Library Association

Yorkregion.com
July 22, 2022
Sheila Wang

Oak Ridges Library, the newest branch of Richmond Hill Public Library, won the Ontario Library Association’s (OLA) New Library Building Award for its excellence in building design.

The Oak Ridges branch, a two-storey library located at the corner of Yonge Street and Regatta Avenue, received the award on July 7 at the OLA’s Annual Institute on the Library as Place conference.

“I am very proud of the work that went into creating this amazing community space and am delighted these efforts have been recognized by the OLA,” said Richmond Hill Mayor David West. The new branch opened its doors to the public on Nov. 12, 2019, after massive delays. It replaced an outgrown storefront facility.

Presented every three years, the OLA New Library Building Award recognizes new library buildings in Ontario that showcase excellence in design, sustainability, technology advancement and community development.

It is the latest award for the Oak Ridges Library, as it was also a recipient for the Silver LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and the 2021 Ontario Wood Design Institutional Award.

“The branch is innovative, relevant and responsive, and it gives our community the experiential spaces and tools they need to learn, solve problems and grow together,” said Darren Solomon, chief executive officer of Richmond Hill Public Library. Solomon, a former VP with Cineplex, was appointed in July 2020 amid a slew of changes made to the city’s public library services and the library board.

The $11,863,000 project of the Oak Ridges Library was approved in 2015, and was initially scheduled to complete by November 2017. It was later postponed to March 2018 due to significant rain delays, and other contractual issues and eventually opened in the fall of 2019.

The 19,000-square-foot facility is three times bigger than the previous library branch it replaced. It also offers a wide range of services including a makerspace, computer learning centre, tween zone, green roof, children’s play structures as well as an expanded library collection of books and magazines for all ages.

“The innovative design of this library branch will help thousands of people every year improve their lives, adapt to change and connect with others,” Solomon said.

Oak Ridges Library is open seven days a week. Makerspace equipment and study spaces can be pre-booked by contacting the library directly. Anyone who lives, goes to school, or works in York Region can receive a Richmond Hill Public Library card. Find out more at www.rhpl.ca.