Connection to the past new library’s focus

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Copy Link

Incorporating history of the land, stories from locals and Indigenous knowledge will be integral to the design of the new central library in Saskatoon.

Alfred Waugh, architect and owner of Formline Architecture in Vancouver, has been selected to lead the design team for the new central library, which also includes Chevalier Morales Architects and Architecture 49.

Waugh, who is a member of Fond Du Lac Denesuline Nation in northern Saskatchewan, is one of the only registered First Nations Architects in Canada. His company specializes in creating spaces that celebrate local values.

“We start with the land first: what was here before people were here, what are the stories of the land, what is the relationship to the river, to give us a sense of place and how that sense of place can be integrated into the design of the building,” said Waugh.

The library will be located in downtown Saskatoon, at 321 2

^nd

Avenue North, and is planned to open in 2026. The Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) chose Waugh and the other members of the team after receiving 18 design proposals.

Waugh said they will develop a communications plan with SPL and spend much of next year gathering input from communities in and around Saskatoon on what a library and community hub means to the people.

“We’re looking forward to that engagement with the Saskatoon community, with the Metis and (other) Indigneous people, to create an architecture that brings these worlds together under one roof,” he said.

“We want the building to represent and embody the values of Saskatoon.”

It was this type of vision and commitment to honouring the land that led to this team’s selection.

“We chose this team because of their expertise and their approach to delivering on the vision for the new central library to embody local First Nation and Metis identities and express the aspirations of the Saskatoon community,” said SPL CEO Carol Cooley in a statement.

While the design phase has yet to begin, Waugh said designs will focus on being inclusive and a safe place for people to share knowledge.

“In Indigenous culture, oral tradition is so important. And as we’re losing our elders, its important to record their stories, so integrating that into the library where you create a comfortable environment for elders to come and share stories, or even record those stories,” he said.

Indigenous ways of knowing and connection will also be present in the design, said Waugh, which means an opportunity to incorporate the prairie landscape, perhaps with something like a safe-space on the roof to read and be surrounded by the land, and areas on the ground floor for people to connect, access services, and exercise their creativity.

“In many ways, it’s the living room for the community, it’s one of those places you can feel welcome at any time of the day,” said Waugh.

“I want to have the opportunity to contribute to creating a public space that brings the community together and sheds those boundaries of racism. It’s a tremendous opportunity to bring worlds together.”