Art and architecture

Artwork in the Library

As the 'living room of the city' and as a Palmerston North cultural icon, the Library comforts and inspires. The building is functional but also reflects the community's cultural nature. The Library's art works inspire, enrich, and help define our character.

Sculpture by Paul Dibble
Rugs and drawings by John Bevan Ford
Sculpture by Albert McCarthy
Clocks and Story-teller's Chair by Greg Bloomfield

Architecture of the Library

Designed by Ian Athfield, the Palmerston North City Library building is a rich assemblage of forms, spaces, ideas, influences and ambitions, emphasising Athfield’s consistent challenging of the traditional.

Historic and modern design elements meet in the building in ways which encourage a dialogue between old and new, stimulating public conversation about our perceptions of a library.

Architecture photos