ELIZABETH DE JONG
Parkdale Idea Exchange

The typology of the library was once about introspection and inversion. One came to the library to gather information in solitude. The new library is concerned with the opposite. The Idea Exchange represents the changing typology of the library as a place for social interaction. The proposal manifests the Idea Exchange as a place to collaborate, socialize, and interact with the community.

The proposal organizes social spaces through recreating the successful social patterns present in the site, to further integrate the building into the lively urban fabric.

The structure of the social spaces is defined by the boundaries of the street. Queen Street is the main axis of circulation, secondary is the side streets, branching directly off Queen. The social spaces exist parallel to the secondary circulation. They are intimate in nature, and are easily accessible and seen from Queen Street. They are visually connected to the activity on Queen Street but posses a higher degree of privacy and stillness.