Dimensions of the Domed Reading Room
The dome building is an eight-sided polygon and measures 34.75 metres (114 feet) in diameter and height. Built to be fireproof, it was constructed from reinforced concrete, brick and glass. The dome itself, which was the largest reinforced concrete dome in the world at the time, has sixteen ribs and a central lantern. Originally featuring 480 skylights, these were encased in copper sheeting in 1959 due to leakage which had caused significant damage to the collection and the building.
Refurbishing the Dome for the 21st century
While magnificent to look at, the Domed Reading Room had several functional flaws. Over the years, various repairs had been carried out to remedy these flaws, however by the 1990s the room was in dire need of major refurbishment.
Renovations to the Domed Reading Room commenced in 1999 as part of the Library’s major redevelopment program. The copper sheathing was removed, glass skylights were reinstated, and the bookshelves and custom-built Queensland silky oak desks restored and returned to their original positions. New technology was also integrated discreetly into the room without compromising its historical integrity.
Reopened in July 2003, the reading room was renamed the La Trobe Reading Room in honour of Charles Joseph La Trobe, Victoria’s first Lieutenant-Governor and one of the founders of the Library. It now houses material from the Library’s Australiana Collection.
Read more about the 1913 opening of the Dome in an article that appeared in the July-October edition of SLV News. |
