Australia’s first public CLT building opens
9 June 2014
Australia’s first public building made from cross-laminated timber (CLT) has opened its doors.
The Library at the Dock in Melbourne was built in partnership between the City of Melbourne, Places Victoria and Lend Lease. The major structural components of the three-storey library are made from more than 500m³ of CLT, produced at Stora Enso’s Ybbs and Bad St Leonhard units in Austria.
One of the main advantages of building with wood is the construction time: the building structure was completed in two-and-a-half months.
"The Australian construction industry is well used to working with wood, and CLT has recently been gaining a lot of attention from construction companies due to its many advantages. The Library at the Dock is an excellent example of how wood, and especially CLT, can deliver added value as a construction material," said Matti Mikkola, vice-president, Building Solutions, Stora Enso Building and Living.
The Library at the Dock stands on a wharf originally designed in 1879. CLT's light weight meant only a limited number of additional pilings and repairs of the old timber posts were required.
In addition to CLT's speed and weight advantages, it also has strong environmental credentials.
"CLT offers a sustainable alternative to conventional materials, given its potential to be carbon negative," said Andrew Nieland, head of timber solutions for Lend Lease. "CLT is a lightweight, strong, solid wood and, given its prefabricated nature, drives efficiency improvements onsite."
The Library at the Dock achieved a 6 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
Melbourne is already home to the world's tallest CLT residential building. The 10-storey Forté Tower, also in the Docklands area, opened last year.
