Library of Pantin, FR - Pantin, 2016
Library of Pantin
The building housing the library, games library and media room at the heart of the Courtilières district enjoys a location which gives it the status of “cornerstone” at the meeting point between the new urban framework and the framework linked to the Serpentin. Place François Mitterrand, where it is located, marks this meeting point between Undulation & Orthogonality, Vegetable & Mineral, Residence & Activity… In other words, the project is located somewhere between specificity and universality. The future facility is a central element in this context. A building without a visible hierarchy of façades to avoid creating a “rear”. The building is as transparent as possible, allowing users to “see and be seen”. Beyond the regulatory aspect, its location and geometry reflect the site’s history. Along the Serpentin, the building follows the same undulations as the existing trees and buildings. Along Avenue des Courtilières, it aligns with the street as encouraged by the urban framework of the redeveloped district. The location of the facility is as far west as possible in order to open up the square side as much as possible, and to maintain the required spatial continuity between Place François Mitterrand and the park. The building has no harsh angles or sharp corners. The angles are curved, visitors discover the public space around it gradually and continually. Due to its transparent design, it emerges as a sheltered and comfortable extension of the public space. In the evening, the building utilises this same transparency as an illumination, a beacon. The bright or even luminescent material reinforces its role as a marker or an impetus in a redeveloping urban context. Glass is a natural material whose properties are optimised depending on the orientation of the façades and the type of premises in order to offer maximum visual, sound and thermal comfort. Shades will be installed as needed; and depending on each case, it will be used as a simple opalescent or translucent cladding. The aesthetic qualities and sustainability of this material are unquestionable. It is easy to replace and recycle.