BAYEUX MEDIA LIBRARY, NORMANDY
intervention provides a dynamic horizontal rhythm to the building’s main elevation. With the building referencing history in a number of ways, in its exterior appearance there’s a nod to the Bayeux tapestry in the brise soleil design within the north facade. The facade, which runs along the main boulevard, is fully glazed, but light is moderated by an internal ‘filter skin’ made up of 1200 horizontally arranged aluminium tubes coloured in the natural shades used in the 11th century wool tapestry. In eight colours (beige, brown, green, bronze, blue, deep blue, black, and yellow), these structures filter the light and provide a “luminous ambience” in doing so, says Serero.
The roof overhangs to the south facade “make it possible to filter views between the reading spaces,” say the architects, and combine with the transparent facades to create a “porosity, a series of rich transition spaces between the building’s interior and exterior.”
Structural glass was used on the north elevation to create a five metre high facade with no vertical supports. Solar control glass was used for the skylights, and the south elevation features a high transparency glass. Free cooling is provided by motorised glass louvres above the entrance and exit doors in the glass facade. At night, or in hot conditions, they automatically open to create natural cross ventilation to the interior spaces.
Internal arrangement Following a “reflection on uses” at the outset of the design process, the architects decided to place virtually all public spaces on an open-plan ground floor for “ease of access and optimal functioning.” The architects commented, “The library is designed on a free platform with no enclosed boundaries.” However it is still a “finite space,” yet one which “assembles an infinite number of organisations of subspaces.” Those ‘subspaces’ are a simple, repeating pattern of 5 m2
square zones,
containing storage shelves, work tables, reading chairs and storage ‘bins.’ The Bayeux municipality, the client behind the project, had a concept of ‘seven places’ to engage users of the new library, inspired in part by the mythical ‘seven- league boots’ described in the tales of 17th century French author Charles Perrault, including ‘Puss In Boots.’ With the centre being named Les 7 Lieux (Places) to reinforce the notion, the client hoped the centre’s different zones would further
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follow the theme by “allowing visitors to access culture by leaps and bounds!” Users will be able to find something to suit them in one of the zones, “just as the seven league boots follow the shape of the foot of the one who wears them.” Continuing the concept, the design provides seven distinct areas. ‘The Platform’ is the open plan 1000 m2
ground floor
which houses most of the ‘free-to-access’ documents for readers. Located on the ground floor behind the reception area, ‘The Gallery’ is an area for hosting exhibitions and events, and ‘The Forum’ is a soundproof room for more specific events with 80 seats mounted on a telescopic ramp.
Also on the ground floor, at the furthest extreme from the reception, are ‘The Workshop,’ a flexible space accommodating
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An internal ‘filter skin’ made up of horizontally arranged tubes is coloured in the natural shades used in the 11th century tapestry
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