Calgary Central Library

Calgary Central Library
Map
Alternative namesNew Central Library
General information
TypePublic library
Location800 3rd Street SE
Calgary, Alberta
Coordinates51°02′43″N 114°03′18″W / 51.0453°N 114.0549°W / 51.0453; -114.0549
Construction started2013
CompletedNovember 1, 2018
Cost$245 million (CAD)
OwnerCalgary Public Library
Technical details
Floor count4
Floor area22,000 m2 (240,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architecture firmSnøhetta
DIALOG
DeveloperCalgary Municipal Land Corporation
Structural engineerEntuitive
Services engineerSMP Engineering
Main contractorStuart Olson
Website
https://calgarylibrary.ca/

The Calgary Central Library, also known as the Calgary New Central Library (NCL), is a public library in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the flagship branch of the Calgary Public Library system. The building is located in the Downtown East Village neighbourhood and opened on November 1, 2018, replacing an earlier central branch built in the 1960s in Downtown Calgary.

The four-storey building cost CA$245 million to construct and was designed by American-Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and Canadian firm DIALOG after the two firms' joint bid won a design competition in 2013. Their design features an oval-like form and an interior with a large central atrium with a skylight. The building is elevated one floor above street level to accommodate a Calgary light rail trackway below, as well as a public plaza.

Planning for a new library began in 2004 and was finalized in 2011. Construction began in 2013 with the encapsulation of an existing CTrain light rail tunnel portal; above-ground construction of the library itself began in September 2015.