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People with shopping bags walking down Therry St, past the entrance to narrm ngarrgu, showing St Ali Coffee with white umbrellas on the footpath, underneath the bold red and white facade screens by artist Rose Nolan
Bird eye view on the Munro Development corner Therry and Queen St showing the full scale of the site and its context within the Queen Victoria Market precinct
Drone shot with a view onto the library's landscaped terrace with social housing and solar panels above and Rose Nolan facade screen reading 'SOON'
Entry into the library with steel framed glass doors and signature coloured glass detail looking at the gold brass covered reception and light filled space with central yellow staircase
Traditional ceremonial Coolamon by Indigenous artist Maree Clarke, cast from a giant burl, surrounded by native plants on the terrace.

narrm ngarrgu Library

Six Degrees Architects 2023

Description

Discover narrm ngarrgu Library & Family Services, a cornerstone of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market precinct renewal. Six Degrees' design for the City of Melbourne’s first library in nearly a decade emphasises First Nations engagement and community involvement. It combines an art gallery and makerspace, and community services.

With sound studios, 3D printers, laser cutters, a sunlit reading room, and family support services, narrm ngarrgu (meaning 'Melbourne knowledge' in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung) reflects inclusivity and sustainability, and celebrates Kulin arts and culture with integrated Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung language and art. Collaborations with Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Mutti Mutti and Boonwurrung artist Maree Clarke and visual artist Rose Nolan define the interiors and façade design.

What's On

Tour the library with Six Degrees Architects, who designed narrm ngarrgu as part of the Munro Development, one of Australia's most sustainable mixed-use developments. The tour will highlight key design considerations and take you through the seven-year collaboration process between Six Degrees, developers PDG Corporation, the City of Melbourne, First Nations consultants and artists, resulting in a truly community-minded project.

Across the weekend, explore the beautiful and educational First Nations artwork created and curated by Maree Clarke and her team throughout narrm ngarrgu Library. Admire and explore these artworks and the architecture of the building and learn more about everything that’s possible at the library.

Children's Activities

In the dedicated children's library, kids can explore artworks by First Nations artist Maree Clarke, discovering the five clans of the Kulin Nations and the seven seasons. These themes are represented in the foyer's lightboxes, on the carpets, the passageway leading into the children’s library, and a six-metre-long eel trap playground artwork surrounded by native planting on the 960-square-metre outdoor terrace.

Images: (1) narrm ngarrgu Library via Therry St entrance. Photo: Nick Love/Six Degrees. (2-3) The Munro Development as part of Queen Victoria Market Precinct renewal. Photo: Kane Multimedia for Buildcorp (4) narrm ngarrgu Library entry. Photo: courtesy of City of Melbourne. (5) Ceremonial coolamon by Maree Clarke on the terrace. Photo: Lucy Foster for City of Melbourne.

Important Details

Time & Date

Saturday 27 July
Open access 10am-4pm
Tours by Six Degrees run 11.30 am + 1pm
Running for 45-60 minutes in groups of 50

Sunday 28 July
Open access 12pm-4pm

Meet at the library entrance at 141 Therry St, next to St Ali coffee.

ACCESSIBILITY

Fully wheelchair accessible, Accessible bathroom, Accessible parking nearby, Elevator access

Location

141 Therry St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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