On Friday, the city of Caen, France, opened the doors to its new 136,702-square-foot public library designed by Rotterdam, Netherlands–based firms Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and Barcode Architects. Each oriented to a city landmark, the four volumes of the x-shaped Bibliothèque Alexis de Tocqueville organize the building’s four subject areas—the arts, human sciences, literature, and science and technology—and meet at the main reading room on the first floor. The four-level building’s three above-grade floors are wrapped in a load-bearing glass façade that allows for a column-free interior. According to an OMA press release, the building is designed to be “a prominent new public center” for the city.
Philippe Ruault
Visit ARCHITECT’s Project Gallery for more information about Bibliothèque Alexis de Tocqueville.
