Young Architects

I have never seen anyone get more excited about a new building than the people of Redcliffs. I could barely get any work done! The story starts, as so many others in Christchurch, with earthquakes and demolition. The team at Young Architects has close ties to the neighbourhood, and was involved in the rebuild of the community library from the very beginning. They took up the challenge of designing an inviting public meeting space that reflects its community. From the red colour of the building to the gable construction reminiscent of the spines on a bookshelf, the library is a space Redcliffs is very proud of, as I soon learned. Since I happen to live down the road, I did more than my usual share of bullying the client into involving me. I knew the semi-translucent gable would be perfect for blue hour photography once finished. I got really excited picturing the final images in my mind's eye. When Greg Young and I finally toured the library, the degree of pride in the community was almost overwhelming. People stopped us repeatedly in the streets to tell their library stories, express how proud they are, and what a good guy Greg is. There were even a few hugs. While I was shooting the building a little while later, people repeatedly told me how happy they were with their new library. It was touching to see how connected everyone felt with this space. I hope the images will do the project justice.