The building, officially opened in May this year, received a commendation under the Public Design category at the recent Australian Interior Design Awards.

The awards celebrate interior design excellence across Australia and are backed by the professional body representing Australian designers, the Design Institute of Australia.

More news: Bendigo Seniors Festival impacted by COVID-19 for a second year

The university's library executive director Fiona Salisbury said the awards have national significance and are judged by industry peers against international standards.

"Being recognised by the industry and given a commendation puts the Bendigo Campus Library on an international standing," she said.

"This is a fantastic outcome. The new library connects our community with the past, present and future knowledge, on a journey of individual-discovery and technology-enhanced collaborative learning and research."

Other stories:

A commendation is given to projects that demonstrate high standards of achievement within their category.

The Public Design category covers galleries, libraries, museums, theatres, and educational institutions.

The library redevelopment, part of the Bendigo Transformation Program, more than doubled the library's public space.

Highlights include a purpose-built home for the historic Sandhurst Collection, vibrant entry and flexible events space, digital learning lab integrating augmented and virtual reality technologies, and active learning spaces to inspire learning, self-discovery and co-working.

Related: Jess Pethybridge's art business has boomed during COVID

In May, La Trobe University vice-chancellor John Dewar said the building would become a regular gathering place for staff, students and the community.

"The library is absolutely the nerve centre of the campus in Bendigo and it is absolutely why we have spent over $20 million on extending and developing it," he said.

"It has taken us six years to complete the project. It was a project that we had to get right and I am excited to say that we can now see what a fantastic building it is."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: