An architect from the Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation will lead the design on the new central library in Saskatoon.
Formline Architecture is an Indigenous owned company, which specializes in culturally sensitive and environmentally responsible designs.
“[This is] a building that bridges the gap between Indigenous ways of knowing and western knowledge,” said Alfred Waugh, founder and owner of Formline Architecture.
Chevalier Morales Architectes and Architecture49 will also serve as the design team.
The Saskatoon Public Library said it chose this design team as the design will embody local First Nations and Métis traditions.
Formline’s designs include the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia, and the Indigenous House at the University of Toronto.
“It will be a place where oral tradition can co-exist with the written word,” Waugh said.
The Library said it will begin broad consultations about the design with the pubic early next year. The library is expected to open in 2026.
(Photo: Alfred Waugh. Courtesy of Formline.ca)