Yellamundie Library at Liverpool Civic Place has been awarded ALIA Public Library of the Year

We are thrilled that Yellamundie Library at Liverpool Civic Place has been awarded ALIA Public Library of the Year.

Positioned at the end of Liverpool’s main street and pedestrian mall, Yellamundie was designed as an open and visible civic place that draws people through the city’s vibrant multicultural centre. The project responds directly to Liverpool’s identity as one of Australia’s most culturally diverse communities, while recognising its significant context at the curve of the Georges River – a place of gathering for centuries, connecting with the Cumberland Plain.

Named after the local First Nations word for “storyteller”, Yellamundie combines library, gallery, technology and community functions within a highly connected public building. The oval form, inspired by the flow of the nearby river, creates an “eddy” in the city that encourages movement, gathering and exchange around a transparent civic heart. At night, the library glows through its translucent facade, expressing the activity and life within.

The project carefully distributes spaces across six levels to support different forms of occupation and learning. A sunken courtyard level provides quiet reading rooms, exhibitions and study spaces illuminated by gardens and skylights, while the upper levels prioritise children and young people with dedicated areas for group study, creativity and social connection. Flexible interiors, mobile shelving and specialist spaces including the Create Space STEM lab allow the building to continually adapt to changing community needs.

Yellamundie is also a benchmark for sustainable public architecture in Western Sydney, achieving a 6 Star Green Star rating through initiatives including a highly innovative triple-glazed facade system, recycled water irrigation, green roofs, extensive daylight penetration and all-electric building systems.