Public Library Wayfinding Murals
Environmental DesignEnvironmental GraphicsMuralIllustration

Public Library Wayfinding Murals

Four large-scale illustrated murals for the children's and young adult wings of a public library expansion — each section anchored by a distinct world Emily designed from the ground up.

Client

Burnaby Public Library

Year

2024

Designer

Emily Paige

The Brief

The expansion doubled the library's footprint and needed interior illustration that felt bold and permanent — not wallpaper. Each wing needed a distinct visual world that also functioned as informal wayfinding.

The Approach

Emily developed four illustrated worlds: an ocean floor (ocean literacy), a city of inventions (STEM), a forest of stories (fiction), and a sky city (imagination/art). Each spans a full 12-metre wall and is applied as a high-resolution vinyl mural with hand-finished detail zones.

The Outcome

The murals were completed on-schedule for opening day and were featured in the library's annual report. Children's wing foot traffic measured 22% above projections in the first month.

Gallery

Library interior
The ocean floor mural anchors the ground-floor children's reading room.
Books on shelves
Detail zones were hand-finished with paint pens after vinyl application.
Children at library
Young readers interact with each world through scavenger hunt programs.

More work by Emily Paige

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