The plan rethinks the library completely and makes it a testament to functional innovation that is difficult to judge by criteria established by traditional library practice.
The architectural design proposes a series of shelves connected by ramps, giving it the appearance of a museum tour. The exterior envelope, called a "luminous shell" by its designers, is punctuated by a rigorous grid of narrow openings, rectangular slots acting like stars in the sky, creating a unique luminosity in a space that could be described as introverted.
The children and adult areas are housed in different volumes, connected by the vertical mechanical circulation. This circulation node would have benefited from being more generous since the circulation of books and staff requires the almost constant use of the elevator, which corresponds to a more realistic daily operation. The elevator waiting area is located in the access area to the youth sector, which often comes in school groups.
The layout is not clear, at least the position of the entrance does not stand out easily on the facade and the relationship of the volumes of the library is not established or does not want to be established with the neighborhood.
The observation was made that the presence of a hearth and chimney became rather anecdotal, even folkloric, in a project whose novelty of plan imposes its order.
(From ARQ Magazine #86 August 1995, p.13)
(CRC translation)
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- Presentation Panel Excerpt
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