The new BMVR library, located at the tip of Caen’s peninsula, includes four projecting wings that point towards four of the city’s landmarks: the abbeys Abbaye-aux-Dames in the north and Abbaye-aux-Hommes in the east; the central train station to the south; and the site of proposed future developments in the west.
The library consists of two intersecting reading rooms, which encourage maximum interface between the programmed disciplines: human sciences, science and technology, literature, and the arts. OMA’s Clément Blanchet stated that instead of crafting a space where four distinct areas are connected by bridges, the design team has structured the area along two intersecting axes, creating a space of confluence for both knowledge and people.
In the exterior spaces created by these intersecting reading rooms, the library interacts with its surroundings, opening up to a park, pedestrian pathway and waterfront plaza. Large windows span the height of the reading room and flood the interiors with natural light. With dynamic views onto Caen and a simultaneous internal transparency, the building is conceived as an observatory of knowledge. It encourages the contemplation of the urban or cultural landscape, even as it serves the library’s traditional role as a space for reading, studying, and interacting with other users.
The design’s sustainable approach responds to local climactic conditions to ensure energy efficiency. Shallow floor plans maximise available natural light, creating the suitable reading environment crucial to a library.
Conceived as the focal point of new development in Caen, the proposal for a building spanning 12,000 square metres, designed by OMA, beat five submissions by internationally-renowned competitors. The project led by OMA associate-in-charge Clément Blanchet, will be OMA’s first cultural building in France.
