Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve (Paris, France)

Center reading space of the Bibliotheque Nationale

The Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, France, is known for its grand collection of international printed material. Founded by Charles V (1368), the building underwent multiple revisions and renovations throughout history. With over ten million titles, the collection contains a variety of prints from arts, law, economics, language, literature, science, technology, humanities, philosophy and more. The library also contains over 5,000 Greek manuscripts.


The 19,000 square-foot library is constructed with several materials. Masonry, iron, terra-cotta and steel create the composition of the building. Its neoclassical exterior impression emphasizes order, and a sense of government power. The heavy horizontal cladding axes are complimented by the vertical nature of the arcade. With a play of depth on the facade, the skin is further defined by the writing on the walls. All these elements contribute to the envelope system which appropriated the street by use of perspective forces. The heavy aesthetic value of the exterior was then contested by its rather lightweight interior counterpart.



The section of the library shows architectural elements that have been emphasized by the Neoclassical era time and time again. The iron colonnade allows for a sensible arrangement of the interior. Books arrayed along the walls face the desks and chairs that fill up the inner spaces. The openings for the windows compliment the details on the iron arcades that swim through the entire building. The focus on the iron to allow for such an elaborate appearance was a play on materials to further enhance the nature of the building. This was quite an experimental feat at the time, as details were not typically focused on a micro scale. This experimentation however successfully adds a deeper level of exploration to the building, as the scale of attention then begins to tie together the rest of the building. The clerestories and center glazing had a less aggressive take on appearance, keeping the lightweight aesthetic to compliment the iron arcades. The light that was then allowed to penetrate the building reflected off the surface of the ceiling to emit a noble, holy atmosphere. Another attention to detail was the division of scale. The topmost bookshelves mark a visual armature for lighting that accentuate material divide within the building, reminding you that the exterior of the building shares some sort of relationship with the interior. This separation of material also starts to project a sense of "part-to-whole" agreement between the heavy shell of the building and the lighter books and fixtures.


Citations:

Cinepelayo, Bibliotheque nationale de france (National Library of France) https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bibliotheque-nationale-de-france

Michael Brawne. Libraries: Architecture and Equipment. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970. LC 73-089609. Z679.B83. ground plan, p16 plate 16. interior perspective, p16 plate 15. section rendering, p16 plate 17.

Sir Banister Fletcher. A History of Architecture. London: The Butterworth Group, 1987. ISBN 0-408-01587-X. LC 86-31761. NA200.F63 1987. comments, p1206, photos of reading room and stacks, p1209.

Leanna Garfield. This Parisian Library looks like a real-life Hogwarts. Business Insider, 2016. http://www.businessinsider.com/sainte-genevieve-library-hogwarts-2016-7

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