The Thornhill Community Centre Library underwent an architectural transformation and expansion project in 2011. Key changes included demolishing partition walls to open up the children's area, creating a forest-themed space with a mural of the local ecology. Study rooms and a study hall were added by partitioning existing space. Interior spaces were modernized and reconfigured for improved accessibility and programming. The renovation maximized space usage within the existing building footprint through strategic demolition and insertion of new floors.

1. OLA BUILDING AWARD
2012
LIBRARY ARCHITECTURAL AND
DESIGN TRANSFORMATION
AWARD
PROJECT: THORNHILL
C0MMUNITY CENTRE LIBRARY
Submitted by Markham Public Library
April 29, 2012

2. Table of Contents
2
SLID SLID
E E
4 Section: Plans & Drawings 15 Interior View Circulation Desk
Before
5 Site Plan 16 Interior View Circulation Desk After
6 Ground Floor Plan 17 Interior View Information Desk
Before
7 Second Floor Plan 18 Interior View Information Desk
After
8 Elevation – Section 1 19 Typical User Area Before
9 Elevation – Sections 2 and 3 20 Typical User Area After
10 Furniture Plan – Ground Floor 21 Lighting Public Space #1
11 Furniture Plan – Second Floor 22 Lighting Public Space #2
12 Section: Photographs 23 Lighting Interior Night View
13 Interior View from Entrance Before 24 Interior View Workroom Before

3. Table of Contents (cont.)
3
SLID SLID
E E
26 The Children’s Forest 33 New Program Rooms Before &
After
27 Families Gather in the Forest 34 More Space for Civic Events
28 Entrance to Forest Before & After 35 Exterior View from Northwest
29 Learning is fun in the Forest 36 Exterior View from Southwest
30 Picture Books Before & After 37 Exterior Entrance
31 New Study Space 38 FAQs
32 More Accessible Collections

4. 4 Plans and Drawings
Thornhill Community Centre Library

5. Site Plan
5

6. Ground Floor Plan
6

7. Second Floor Plan
7

8. Elevation – Section 1
8

9. Elevations – Sections 2 and 3
9

10. Furniture Plan – Ground Floor
10

11. Furniture Plan – Second Floor
11

12. 12 Photographs
Thornhill Community Centre Library

13. Interior view of library from
entrance area - BEFORE
13

14. Interior view of library from
entrance area - AFTER
14

15. Interior view showing a major public
services position: Circulation Desk
15 BEFORE

16. Interior view showing a major public
services position: Circulation Desk
16 AFTER

17. Interior view showing a major public
services position: Information Desk
17 BEFORE

18. Interior view showing a major public
services position: Information / Welcome
18 Desk AFTER

19. Interior view showing a typical user
19
area - BEFORE

20. Interior view showing a typical user
20
area - AFTER

21. Lighting - public space #1 – Public
21
Computers

22. Lighting - public space #2 – Teen
22
Area

23. Lighting - interior view at night
23

24. Interior view: a major staff function
in a nonpublic area - Workroom
24
BEFORE

25. Interior view: a major staff function
in a nonpublic area - Workroom
25
AFTER

26. The Children’s Forest
26
 The revitalized Children’s Area features an enchanting
mural created by local artist Pat Wheeler, and funded by
a generous legacy from the estate of Leonard Wilson
Black. The artwork was inspired by the local eco-history
of the adjacent Don Valley watershed, designed to instill
an appreciation of nature and wildlife from an early age.
 Themed programs in the “Forest” include a Woodland
Scavenger Hunt, Owl Craft, and lots of animal stories.

27. Families gather in the Forest
27
There’s even an
outhouse – the
children’s
washroom!

28. Entrance to the Children’s
28
Forest – BEFORE and AFTER
Partition walls were demolished to open up and brighten this lower
level space.

29. Learning is fun in the forest
29

30. Picture Books BEFORE and
30
AFTER

31. New Study Space
31
Four group
study rooms
were created
through the
partitioning of
existing space.
A new large and
bright Study Hall
was created on
the upper level
of the previous
theatre space.

32. More Accessible Collections
32
Collections are
now more
accessible
through
merchandising,
power walls and
C3, Markham’s
award-winning
customer-friendly
classification
system

33. New Space – Program Rooms
33
BEFORE and AFTER
New program rooms were created through the demolition of raked
theatre-style seating and the insertion of a new floor (the ceiling in
this view) dividing a double-height space into two levels.

34. More space for civic and cultural
34
events
Mobile stacks and
furniture on wheels
makes it easy to
create space for civic
and cultural events.

35. Exterior View – from northwest
35
 1988 construction
 The exterior was not significantly changed (apart from a new
window and emergency exit staircase for the new Study Hall).

36. Exterior View – from southwest
36
 1988 construction – not changed by
renovation project.

37. Exterior Entrance
37
 1974 construction – not changed by
renovation project.

38. FAQs: Thornhill Community Library
38
Renovation & Expansion
 Completed 2011
 Architect: WK Lim Architect inc.
 Contractor: Charterhouse Projects Inc.
 Corporate Project Managers: SMA-METTKO
Ltd.
 Millwork: Shaw Woodworks Inc.
 Size (post-renovation): 26,053 sq. ft.