n any given morning, before the State Library of Queensland opens, you’ll find visitors in the Knowledge Walk, waiting to go inside to start their creative journey. Many will have been there for some time, making themselves at home in the building’s covered, open-air atrium. SLQ is a container for stories of Queensland. People from all walks of life toil here to tell their stories and read the stories of others. Inside the walls, visitors imagine themselves as protagonists of a future story, yet to be told. I have always loved the energy of the building in the morning. It’s a juxtaposition of quiet and people bustling about; there’s a great sense of anticipation. What especially appeals to me is that the outside spaces are purposefully relaxed and properly Queensland. The building is obviously a public institution, but the deep seating, broad concrete plinths and protected, cubby-type spaces offer a sense of private retreat outside the building. These exterior havens extend throughout the building, on both the front-facing and river-facing sides, as well as
