Robarts Library Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The library's main building is a large brutalist/futurist concrete structure designed to look like a peacock. It is considered by some to be a great architectural achievement, but many others (students and residents alike) consider it to be hideous. It has many nicknames, including Fort Book, the Bunker, and the Turkey.
Its design was conceived in the 1960s by Toronto architects Mathers and Haldenby, in collaboration with the New York architecture firm Warner Burns Toan & Lunde, who specialize in precast concrete buildings. Construction of the 14-story library was completed in 1973.
The library was initially designed for graduate students only, but following massive student protests, undergraduate students were also granted access. The library's initial design was for the shelving system to revolve, to allow for faster collection by library staff, who would then send books downstairs for pickup. With the Robarts' being opened to all students, the rotating system was mothballed, although the track the stacks would run along are still present and visible.
Robarts Library is home to the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library, which contains a priceless collection of manuscripts and first editions.
It is also the home of Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, which holds a collections of over 380,000 volumes of materials in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.