National Library of France, Paris

In July 1988, French President François Mitterand announced the decision to build the world’s most advanced library in Paris. Of the 244 architects that were invited to submit examples of their work, 20 were asked to submit proposals, and one winning submission was chosen. That of Dominique Perrault.
The new library is clearly symmetrical, but Perrault’s design is also ‘open’, with ‘L’-shaped corner towers facing one another like four open books. Imagine a large rectangular block where only the ‘L’-shaped corners are built up, seemingly holding the structure within itself. Inside these ‘open books’ is not only the library but also an esplanade. The esplanade is a vast public space surrounded by a wooded garden – a tranquil meeting and reading space that reflects the library’s collection of human
thought and creativity.

Fibre optic daylight

It was essential to illuminate the 3,500 reading seats at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France with light that compares to daylight. This way, the printed images can be seen in their true colours. But unlike daylight, the light could not be allowed to contain any ultraviolet or infrared radiation, as this could damage the precious books and manuscripts – causing images to fade and the paper to deteriorate. In addition, eye comfort is critical, which means illumination has to be as glare-free as possible. The solution? Fibre-optic lighting. The light is generated and channelled through fibre-optic cables to the desk canopy. The light is created by a generator, which is integrated in the socket of the desk luminaire. Special terminals distribute the light uniformly, perfect for reading.