Orchard public library returns

After a seven-year hiatus, the much-loved library@orchard is back and looking better.

Opened to the public yesterday morning, the two-storey library on the third and fourth floors of the Orchard Gateway shopping mall is a chic, cosy space that would look right at home on the pages of a trendy magazine or book on design.

The sleek, curvilinear white shelves, buffed bamboo floors and black walnut chairs with leather seats from home-grown furniture label Air Division - each chair retails for more than $1,600 - are among the features that lend a fresh look to the public library in Orchard Road.

The collection of books and magazines also stands out from those at other public library branches, with its focus on design, including fashion, graphic and interior design.

Of the some 100,000 fiction and non-fiction books available, more than 45,000 are design-related and 46 magazine titles are new and exclusive to library@orchard, including cult art and design magazines such as Disegno and Works That Work.

The previous library@orchard in Ngee Ann City closed in 2007.

The library's focus on design in its collection and user experience are a result of wide-ranging public feedback and in-depth interviews with users, said Jasna Dhansukhlal, 40, assistant director of public library services.

This is the first public library that has sought and incorporated public feedback and suggestions in its design, collection and services.

The new library features interactive bookshelves dubbed Book Trees, and nooks for library-goers to read and think alone, called Cocoons.

The four Book Trees in the library each have a different theme and display a selection of books, magazines and audio-visual material on the topic.

The five Cocoons adjoin regular bookshelves and feature curved, dark wood panels that wrap around single seats to create partially enclosed spaces.

lijie@sph.com.sg

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