Library

The Architecture, Building and Planning Library holds the best built environment collection in Australasia and offers students a unique place to study.

Wishbone Beams

It took a team of five formworkers a period of six weeks to construct the very complex curved shapes and profiles that provide the supporting formwork for the concrete wishbone beams in the library.

The orange and yellow beams are the formwork support system – they support the plywood. There are three layers of plywood: the first level acts as a working platform; the second provides the curved underside shape of the beams; and the third, the underside shape of the slabs.

Once the formwork was completed the steel reinforcement could be installed in the beams, and then in the slabs.

The concrete was then poured and, after curing, the formwork was stripped to reveal the wishbone shape.

Collections

The Architecture, Building and Planning Library includes large collections of rare books and digitised materials.

Rare Books Collection

Rare Books Collection

The University of Melbourne Library holds an expansive and significant rare books collection covering a diversity of topics. For the built environment disciplines, these include:

Digitised Collections

The Architecture, Building and Planning Library is digitising many of its collections, chosen for their significance or preservation of original materials. These include:

Librarians & Resources

The librarians in the ABP Library are highly knowledgeable in the built environments disciplines, and have developed the ABP study and research guide, which provides both an entry-point into the physical and online Library resources and essential study skills guidance.

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