Culture –Public Spaces & Outdoor Libraries

Dartmouth North Outdoor Library
Dartmouth North Outdoor Library
Keshen Goodman Outdoor Library
Keshen Goodman Outdoor Library
Daffodil Garden for Cancer Survivors
Daffodil Garden for Cancer Survivors
HPL Central Outdoor Library Composite Image
Halifax Central Outdoor Library
Sheet Harbour Outdoor Library
Sheet Harbour Outdoor Library
Cpt William Spry HPL Outdoor Library
Cpt William Spry HPL Outdoor Library
Canal Greenway Park
Canal Greenway Park
The Volunteers/Les Bénévoles
The Volunteers
Mackerel Benches
WDCL Visitors Centre
Stillwell Beer Garden
Stillwell Beer Garden
Two Crows Pub Patio
Two Crows Pub Patio
Musquodoboit Outdoor Library
Musquodoboit Outdoor Library
Connrose Park Rendering
Connrose Park

Outside! creates landscape plans for cultural facilities, including outdoor libraries, community centres, museums & galleries.

We love these and refer to them as ‘2nd generation’ projects. These are the facilities that were built years ago and may not have had funds or interest at the time to build an outdoor component to their projects. Many of these cultural facilities are publicly owned, and some of them are privately owned spaces, including non-government organizations (NGO’s) like The North Grove and restaurant facilities like beer gardens. These important community centres often sit on properties surrounded by underused or vacant land, often with adjacent parking lots. We love these projects because they’re ripe for change.

Have questions?
Outdoor Libraries
Dartmouth Outdoor Library
Mackerel Benches on Whale Deck

Outdoor libraries are an excellent example. Many libraries were built years ago and have lots of space around them. By re-imagining these spaces, Outside! brings innovation, creativity and fun to the table. We use our landscape architecture skills to design these spaces and library staff have developed a fun and engaging programs to animate these outdoor spaces. Ever heard of programming like ‘Yarn in the Yard’ or ‘Yoga & Smooties’ on the outdoor terrace? What about hanging out on an oversized hammock?

Dartmouth North Outdoor

Active and engaging, these projects are really about place-making. They’re designed spaces that people want to be in because they’re fun, dynamic public spaces that make you want to be there. Our collaborations with libraries have led to increased visitor numbers as people are keen to engage with these new spaces. As an added bonus, during Covid lockdowns and facility closures, these outdoor libraries provided space where services like book pick up and drop-offs were able to continue. We create playful, loveable outdoor spaces that extend capacity and give people another reason to love their local library.

These outdoor spaces help people connect with the benefits of being outdoors, extend capacity and raise awareness about the importance of the public realm.

Need another reason to reach out about your project?

Developing underused exterior space is a fraction of the cost of developing new interior spaces. You can’t beat that!

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