State Library of NSW
Premium commercial furniture company Bowermans curated a suite of custom-made, locally crafted solutions for the refurbished State Library of New South Wales’ Macquarie Street Building.
The State Library of New South Wales has a rich 200-year history and today functions as so much more than an archive – it is also a place to work, study and socialise, host events, see exhibitions and take part in community workshops and gatherings. The ambitious transformation of the library’s Macquarie Street Building in the Sydney CBD reflects its role as a modern, multifaceted public institution. Architects Cullen Feng and Andrew Andersons – who was responsible for the building’s original design in 1988 – collaborated to expand the ground-floor bookshop and cafe, as well as to transform the Bashir Reading Room into a more accessible, inspiring space.
The update required clever and considered furnishing strategies. The refurbishment increased seating capacity in the Bashir Reading Room by 37 per cent to accommodate 659 seats, alongside 15 extra study rooms and a new reading lounge. Bowermans worked closely with the design team to deliver a mix of Australian-made desks, laptop tables, cafe seating and lounge settings, organised in both structured arrangements to facilitate focus and casual, organic groupings for social zones.
Leveraging the company’s extensive product library and long-standing manufacturing relationships, the Bowermans team curated a combination of high quality, off-the-shelf pieces and fully customised statement designs, ensuring the project stayed aligned with both the architects’ vision and government compliance requirements.
In the foyer, a bold, curved sofa in bright crimson – designed by Cullen Feng Architects and realised with Bowermans’ technical expertise – greets visitors upon entry. With customised leg detailing and a carefully chosen colour specification, it sits alongside comfortable, red Bowermans armchairs to create a communal space designed for conversation or rest.
Throughout the project, materials were chosen to reinforce a strong sense of place. Chairs are upholstered in textiles designed by contemporary Indigenous artist Lizzy Stageman to reference rain, seasonality and Country. These sit in dialogue with cool blue and warm red wall finishes, made of 21,700 timber slats to evoke the look of bookshelves, emphasising the building’s identity as a living archive. Mocha-toned leather lounges nod to the library’s 200-year heritage, while the expanded 220-seat cafe features Billiani tables in beech and slim-line Bowermans oak seating.
Each Bowermans product contributes to a cohesive furnishing system designed to be highly adaptable, comfortable and durable for long-term public use. As libraries continue to evolve into multi-purpose civic spaces, the role of furniture becomes more critical than ever in shaping how people gather, work and form community.
