Robarts Library

Last updated
John P. Robarts Research Library
Robarts Library-2.jpg
The southeast side of Robarts Library, seen behind the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Robarts Library
43°39′52″N79°23′58″W / 43.66444°N 79.39944°W / 43.66444; -79.39944
Location130 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Type Academic library
Established1973;51 years ago (1973)
Architect(s) Mathers & Haldenby, Warner Burns Toan & Lunde, Diamond Schmitt Architects   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Branch of University of Toronto Libraries
Other information
Website Website

The John P. Robarts Research Library, commonly referred to as Robarts Library, is the main humanities and social sciences library of the University of Toronto Libraries and the largest individual library in the university. Opened in 1973 and named for John Robarts, the 17th Premier of Ontario, the library contains more than 4.5 million bookform items, 4.1 million microform items and 740,000 other items.

Contents

The library building is an example of brutalist architecture. Its towering main structure rests on an equilateral triangular footprint and features extensive use of triangular geometric patterns throughout. It forms the main component of a three-tower complex that also includes the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and the Claude T. Bissell Building, which houses the Faculty of Information. The library's imposing appearance has earned it the nicknames Fort Book [1] and The Peacock/Turkey.

Architecture

Detailed view of the upper-level exterior Fort Book.jpg
Detailed view of the upper-level exterior

The design of the Robarts Library complex was headed by Mathers & Haldenby Architects with consultation from Warner, Burns, Toan & Lunde, the New York architectural firm whose earlier works included the libraries at Cornell and Brown universities and who specialized in precast concrete buildings. Coinciding with the Canadian Centennial celebrations, the initial plan was expanded to add three more storeys to the original design. Construction of the library began in 1968 and completed in 1973, at a cost of over $40 million.

Robarts Library occupies a 3-acre (12,000 m2) site on a field of open space and mature tree cover. The building rests on an equilateral triangle footprint with each side measuring 330 feet (100 m), the same length as a Canadian football field from goal post to goal post. [2] The building is oriented such that one side of the equilateral triangle faces west while the other two sides face northeast and southeast. From the southeast corner, the building appears as a peacock. [3]

The elevation is mostly concrete, albeit differing in textures and directionality: smooth concrete lines the façade in a horizontal manner, the rough concrete lining vertically. The steel-framed windows are situated onto the bays protruding from the façade, and are reminiscent of overhanging towers in medieval castle architecture. The bay windows seem to elevate upwards, opening up the two lowermost levels into voids enclosed with steel-framed glazing, making these elements seem lighter than they really are. To stretch further one's imagination, it is as if these elements are elevators that transport the "scholar[s] anxious to escape the noise and turmoil of the vulgar press [into]… a dream palace enshrining in its holy mysteries the power of the word." [4]

A mid-level mezzanine connects the library building with the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. Robartslibrary3.jpg
A mid-level mezzanine connects the library building with the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
Robarts Library Lobby Robarts Library Lobby 2022.jpg
Robarts Library Lobby

Comprising fourteen storeys, plus two underground floors, the brutalist and futurist structure features raised podia and a suspended fourth floor. [5] A mezzanine level physically connects Robarts Library to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library building at its southeastern side, and to the Claude T. Bissell Building, housing the Faculty of Information, at its northeastern side. The concrete waffle slab floor plates are adorned with triangular-patterned tessellation. A hexagonal central circulation atrium is enclosed at the core of the building and through the middle of the mezzanine level. [5] The gross area of the building is over 1,036,000 square feet (96,200 m2). [6]

Robarts Library as viewed from its northwestern corner. The connection to the Claude Bissell Building is visible at left Robarts corner 750px.jpg
Robarts Library as viewed from its northwestern corner. The connection to the Claude Bissell Building is visible at left

In 2008, the university announced that Robarts Library would be receiving a significant upgrade, the first phase of which was completed in the spring of 2011. During these years a major transformation gradually took place at Robarts, beginning with the renovation of the apexes on each stack floor in 2008 (finished in 2010), the Map & Data Library on the 5th floor in 2009, the Media Commons on the 3rd floor in 2010, and the second floor porticos in 2011. The renovations were intended to create a welcoming environment that would both provide informal study space and function to let people know about the services and resources available throughout the building. Signage throughout the building was redesigned and refreshed to improve navigation and usability of the library and its resources, and new touch screens are already improving communication with students, providing information such as the number of available workstations on each floor at any given time. Robarts outdoor signage can be scanned with the smartphone app Layar for augmented reality links.

Robarts Common

The next phase of the renewal was the addition of a five-storey pavilion which would become a new face of Robarts, opening up the west side of the building to the street, bringing a flood of natural light to the lower floors and making the overall environment more inviting, accessible and productive for students. [7] The new pavilion opened as Robarts Common in September 2022, adding 1,200 new work and study spaces to Robarts, and bringing the library's total number of study spaces to over 6,000. [8] The renovations were designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated.

Features and collections

Interior shelving of the library Nm toronto university of toronto library.jpg
Interior shelving of the library

A 1974 article in the Canadian Architect magazine outlines the library's significance to serving a campus community the size of a town, as well as by being a central storage for humankind's recorded thoughts and inspiration. [9] The library was initially intended for use by graduate students only, but following a student protest that included an illegal occupation of the building, [10] undergraduate students were also granted access. The library's initial design was for a mechanical book conveyor belt system to allow for faster collection by library staff, who would then send books downstairs for pickup. After Robarts was opened to all students, the conveyor system was discarded, although the tracks used by the conveyor system are still visible above the shelves. The library is open only to current students, faculty, and staff, external researchers, associate members, and alumni with paid privileges, as well as members of the University of Toronto School community. It is closed to members of the public. [11]

The building houses a number of special collections, including the Mu Collection (Chinese: 慕氏藏書) which is a set of rare books from China in the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, [12] the largest research collection for Hong Kong and Canada-Hong Kong studies outside of Hong Kong at the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, [13] and a sizable collection in Russian, Polish, Czech and Slovak, Ukrainian, and other East European languages at the Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre. [14]

In addition to an extensive collection of texts, the library provides limited after-hours study space to students during the academic year with the exception of weekends. The book stacks are off-limits after hours. In August 2010, the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre moved from the first floor of Robarts Library to OCAD University, which is shared with students with disabilities from that college, as well as from nearby Toronto Metropolitan University and Seneca College. The Internet Archive Canada headquarters are located on the seventh floor. [15]

Robarts Library may have served as a model for the secret library in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose . Eco spent much of the time writing the novel at the University of Toronto, and the stairwell of the secret library bears a particularly strong resemblance to that in Robarts Library. [5]

Robarts was used for exterior shots of the prison setting in Resident Evil: Afterlife . The entire building is visible numerous times, having been digitally edited and transplanted from its downtown Toronto location to Los Angeles. In the film, it has been surrounded by a prison wall and hundreds of thousands of zombies. While the exterior retains its triangular shape, the interior is rectangular. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria University, Toronto</span> Constituent college of the University of Toronto, Canada

Victoria University is a federated university, which forms part of the wider University of Toronto. The school was founded in 1836 by the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Canada as a nonsectarian literary institution. From 1841 to 1890, Victoria operated as an independent degree-granting university, before federating with the University of Toronto in 1890, relocating from Cobourg to Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Toronto Scarborough</span> Satellite campus in Ontario, Canada

The University of Toronto Scarborough is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto located in Scarborough district, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University College, Toronto</span> Constituent college of the University of Toronto

University College, popularly referred to as UC, is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its non-denominationalism contrasted with contemporary colleges at the time, such as Trinity College and St. Michael's College, both of which later became part of the University of Toronto.

Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the bare building materials and structural elements over decorative design. The style commonly makes use of exposed, unpainted concrete or brick, angular geometric shapes and a predominantly monochrome colour palette; other materials, such as steel, timber, and glass, are also featured.

The Joseph L. Rotman School of Management is the University of Toronto's graduate business school, located in Downtown Toronto. The University of Toronto has been offering undergraduate courses in commerce and management since 1901, but the business school was formally established in 1950 as the Institute of Business Administration. The name was changed to the Faculty of Management Studies in 1972 and subsequently shortened to the Faculty of Management in 1986. The school was renamed in 1997 after Joseph L. Rotman (1935–2015), its principal benefactor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regenstein Library</span> Main library of the University of Chicago

The Joseph Regenstein Library is the University of Chicago’s primary library, located on the University’s Hyde Park campus on the South Side of Chicago. Named after the industrialist and philanthropist Joseph Regenstein, it is one of the largest repositories of books in the world. The Regenstein is noted for its brutalist architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto City Hall</span> Canadian city hall, opened 1965

The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965. The building is located adjacent to Nathan Phillips Square, a public square at the northwest intersection of Bay Street and Queen Street, that was designed and officially opened alongside Toronto City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Spadina Crescent</span> Academic building of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1 Spadina Crescent, also known as the Daniels Building, is an academic building that houses the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building is situated in the centre of a roundabout of Spadina Avenue, north of College Street. Its location provides a picturesque vista looking north up Spadina Avenue; it is an axial view terminus for Spadina Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Toronto Mississauga</span> One of the three campuses of the University of Toronto, located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

The University of Toronto Mississauga is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B+H Architects</span> Canadian architectural and engineering firm

B+H Architects or BH Architects is a Canadian architectural and engineering firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm was founded in 1953 by Sidney Bregman and George Hamann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardiner Museum</span> Ceramics museum in Ontario, Canada

The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is a ceramics museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is situated within University of Toronto's St. George campus, in downtown Toronto. The 4,299.2-square-metre (46,276 sq ft) museum building was designed by Keith Wagland, with further expansions and renovations done by KPMB Architects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLennan Library Building</span> Library building of McGill University in Montreal, Canada

The McLennan Library Building is a major library building of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 3459 rue McTavish, at the northeast corner of rue Sherbrooke and McTavish. The building, along with the adjacent Redpath Library Building, currently houses the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, the largest branch of the McGill University Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Toronto Libraries</span>

The University of Toronto Libraries system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind only Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 40 libraries located on University of Toronto's three university campuses: St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough. This array of college libraries, special collections, and specialized libraries and information centres supports the teaching and research requirements of 215 graduate programs, over 60 professional programs, and more than 700 undergraduate degree programs. In addition to more than 12 million print volumes in 341 languages, the library system currently provides access to 150,467 journal titles, millions of electronic resources in various forms and almost 30,000 linear metres of archival material. More than 150,000 new print volumes are acquired each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Toronto Mississauga buildings</span> Buildings at the Mississauga satellite campus of the University of Toronto

The University of Toronto Mississauga is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto. It is in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada about 33 kilometres west of the main St. George campus. It was formerly called the Erindale College but was later changed to the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). The campus has eight main educational buildings: the Maanjiwe nendamowinan Building, Deerfield Hall, the William G. Davis Building, the Kaneff Centre and Blackwood Gallery, the Recreation, Athletic, and Wellness Centre, the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre which holds UTM's library, the Instructional Building, and the new Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex for the Mississauga Academy of Medicine. The campus also houses 3 residence halls: Erindale Hall, Roy Ivor Hall, and Oscar Peterson Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odegaard Undergraduate Library</span>

The Charles E. Odegaard Undergraduate Library(OUGL) is a library on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It houses secondary stacks, a learning commons and on-campus technology resources for students, primarily undergraduates. Named after the 19th president of the university, it opened in 1972, replacing the small undergraduate library previously located at Suzzallo Library. It fronts the northwest corner of Red Square and provides access to the parking garage below the plaza, which was built simultaneously with the library. In addition to library space, the building includes a cafeteria and newsstand on the ground floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio History Center</span> History museum in Columbus, Ohio

The Ohio History Center is a history museum and research center in Columbus, Ohio. It is the primary museum for Ohio's history, and is the headquarters, offices, and library of the Ohio History Connection. The building also houses Ohio's state archives, also managed by the Ohio History Connection. The museum is located at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, site of the Ohio State Fair, and a short distance north of downtown. The history center opened in 1970 as the Ohio Historical Center, moving the museum from its former site by the Ohio State University. The building was designed by Ireland & Associates in the Brutalist style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with the Ohio Village in 2023.

The House at Big Hill, was completed in 2011, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects. This project is located at Big Hill, on the Great Ocean Road, near Lorne. It addresses the site and also considered a limited material selection as part of its main design concept.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newman Centre, Toronto</span> Student Drop-in Centre and Residence in Toronto, Canada

Newman Centre is the Roman Catholic university chaplaincy for the University of Toronto. It is housed in what was the home of Wilmot Deloui Matthews. It is located at the corner of Hoskin Avenue and St. George Street, across from the Robarts Library on the University of Toronto campus. It is under the direction of the Archdiocese of Toronto and is associated with the neighbouring St. John Henry Newman Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre</span> Educational in Downtown Toronto, Canada

The Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre is the main student centre at Toronto Metropolitan University. The building is home to several facilities and student services. Opened in 2015, it is located in downtown Toronto on the corner of Yonge Street and Gould Street.

References

  1. Leung, Maria Saros (February 26, 2008). "Robarts expansion to create more student spaces". University of Toronto News. news.utoronto.ca. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010.
  2. U of T Q&A Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Quote: Each side of the equilateral triangle is 330 feet (100 m) long - the length of a Canadian football field from goal post to goal post - and it can provide space for 4,000 persons at any one time.
  3. "Construction begins on Robarts Library expansion". U of T News. University of Toronto. One challenge for Diamond Schmitt Architects was to complement the architecture of the peacock-shaped Robarts, a heritage building of brutalist architecture so iconic it inspired a video game.
  4. Acland, James. "Protest 2: a brain factory." Canadian Architect. v.19, n.8. Don Mill, Ont.: Hugh C. Maclean Publications, Ltd. 1974: 36-39
  5. 1 2 3 McClelland, Michael; Stewart, Graeme; E.R.A. Architects (2007). Concrete Toronto: A Guidebook to Concrete Architecture from the Fifties to the Seventies. Coach House Books. pp. 34, 164, 173. ISBN   978-1-55245-193-9.
  6. Leighton, Philip D.; Weber, David C. (2000). Planning Academic and Research Library Buildings. ALA Editions. pp. 20, 138. ISBN   0-8389-0747-4.
  7. Aschaiek, Sharon (Winter 2016). "Robarts Expansion to Begin This Spring". University of Toronto Magazine. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  8. "U of T celebrates official opening of Robarts Common" (Press release). University of Toronto. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  9. Gretton, Robert. "John P. Robarts Research Library, University of Toronto." Canadian Architect. v.19, n.8. Don Mills, Ont.: Hugh C. Maclean Publications, Ltd. 1974: 28-33
  10. Friedland, Martin L. (2013). The University of Toronto: A History, Second Edition. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 537, 538. ISBN   9781442615366.
  11. "Members of the public". onesearch.library.utoronto.ca. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  12. "About the East Asian Library | Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library". east.library.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  13. "Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library | 利銘澤典宬". hongkong.library.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  14. "New Acquisitions | Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre". pjrc.library.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  15. Calamai, Peter (2007-05-16). "Archivists embrace digital page". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  16. Austin, Daniel (December 8, 2009). "Explosions for 'Resident Evil' shoot rock south Riverdale". Global National . Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2011.