A Vancouver Landmark on West Georgia Street

Along West Georgia Street, framed by towers and traffic, the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) Central Branch holds its place with quiet confidence. Its curved stone walls and repeating columns are a clear nod to the Roman Colosseum but with welcoming pathways and airyness that feels very Vancouver. Designed by Safdie Architects in partnership with DA Architects, it has shaped this downtown block since 1995 and celebrated its thirtieth year this past May. 

Within the library’s glass-wrapped solarium and around its base, a handful of food and drink options extend the atmosphere outward. Blenz Coffee offers the classic pairing of a hot cup of coffee alongside a good book. Library Square Pub, part bar and part local fixture, has been pouring pints since the library first opened in the 90s.

Inside, nine floors open up to a wide range of spaces and activities, many of them overlooked by those who still see it as only a library. Each level holds something unexpected, inviting a closer look and a different kind of use.

Borrow More Than a Book

This library contains books, of course, and in over 16 languages. There are your classics and your bestsellers but also a wide range of special collections including an Indigenous Collection, historical maps and photography collection and The Marion Thompson Collection of Children’s Books, representing the best of publishing and illustration for children dating from 1728 to the 1950s. 

Behind a climate-controlled vault on the 7th floor, the VPL Central Branch also has a Rare Books Collection where a 1430 Breviarium handwritten by German nuns holds the record for the library’s oldest piece. 

But that’s only one layer. Across the building are other forms of knowledge offered for check out. 

For those feeling musically inclined, the VPL Central Branch has a deep catalog of musical instruments to loan including guitars, drums, keyboards and more. Instructions and training manuals are also available. 

For in-library use, a selection of board games are available. The library even hosts events on board games, such as an intro to Dungeons & Dragons. 

An Unexpected Place for Connection and Creativity

On level eight, the Montalbano Family Theatre seats eighty. Its programming moves between author talks, community lectures and small-scale performances. One evening might hold a poetry reading. Another, a family movie night. 

Down on level 3, The Inspiration Lab, opened in 2015, speaks to a different kind of curiosity. Here, the technology is provided for visitors to convert old tapes into digital files or scan long-forgotten negatives.

There are recording booths for musicians and podcasters, and green screens along with state-of-the-art camera equipment for filmmakers. 

Computers and tablets are available, equipped with video editing and graphic design software to support creative endeavours. It’s no concern if you don’t know how to use them as the library hosts regular classes on sharpening digital skills.

Beyond video editing lessons and sound recording workshops, a full calendar of programs keeps the library quietly active. Workshops in genealogy, crafting and writing fill out the schedule, alongside recurring events like babytime and sensory storytime for children. At times, the programming shifts toward the unexpected. One recent evening, visitors gathered for a conversation with exoneree and journalist Amanda Knox, for example.  

A Public, Secret Rooftop Garden

High above, the rooftop garden remains the library’s most understated feature and one of Vancouver’s only public rooftop patios. It first appeared in landscape architect; Cornelia Hahn Oberlander’s early drawings, part of the original design narrative in the 1990s. Yet it stayed dormant until 2018, when funding and planning finally met. The garden spans 8,000 square feet across levels eight and nine. Its layout favours quiet reflection but also leaves room for loose gatherings. Benches appear beside planted borders. Native grasses and shrubs fill in the edges.

In summer, live music takes place against a backdrop of Vancouver’s skyline. On quieter days, people settle in with lunch (food and beverages are allowed here) or notebooks. Solar panels power the floor’s lighting. Views extend across the rooftops toward the North Shore.

Atmosphere Over Announcement

Much of the library’s strength comes from how little it insists on itself. It does not prescribe how to use it and its guests are figuring out new options daily. One person may spend the day editing audio in a sound booth. Another may read quietly under a parasol on the rooftop. New parents may connect at one of the baby playtime events. Students may study and a family may challenge each other to a board game.

Vancouver Public Library Central Branch – A Civic Gesture That Endures

The Vancouver Public Library Central Branch is a third space that offers something for everyone and it offers it free of charge. All you need is a library card. It gives form to public life while allowing that life to remain unstructured. In every corner of the building, something different takes shape; a podcast, a performance, a private moment with a book.

It remains one of the few places in downtown Vancouver that asks nothing in return for its use aside from simply the enjoyment of its visitors.