A living library

Ballyfermot is a large community library. Opened to the public in 1981, the library building is the largest of Dublin City Public Libraries owned library premises, measuring 2,090 square metres.


The design challenge for this refurbishment was to create practical and smaller intimate spaces within the vast expanse of the library. Internal landmarks are created to strike a balance between conscious and deliberate zoning within the building and to assist easy navigation and wayfinding through the building without physically fencing spaces off.


Parents and children are a particularly important user group to the library and the aim was to make it a welcoming and special space for them. It has to be a balance between independence, play and exploration of the children with the necessities of safety and observation. The furniture selection is dynamic, interactive and novel to engage children and give them an experience that exceeds all expectations. It is crucial that the children’s section of the library genuinely caters for their needs, rather than just being a smaller version of the adult space.


Large scale graphics are used throughout the library to add local interest and excitement.