Bayeux Media Library Normandy Building, Serero Architectes France, French Architecture Images
Bayeux Media Library in Normandy
4 June 2021
Bayeux Media Library Normandy Building News
Design: Serero Architectes
Location: Bayeux, Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France

Photos © Didier Boy de la Tour
Landscape-building and urban showcase
Standing beside the beltway surrounding the dense center of Bayeux with its winding narrow streets, the new Bayeux Media Library is thoughtfully integrated into the rich historical context of the town. The project rises on an open plot connecting the historic center with the town?s future development zones, creating splendid views of the cathedral.

This exceptional situation required very careful treatment, with the architect choosing to propose a transparent, landscape-building to serve as a genuine urban vitrine. The project design expresses an open relation between the interior and exterior with the patio and outdoor reading terraces on the south side open to the media library?s various uses and users. Each space has its own light sources ? skylights, light entering from central patio, light softened by a metal mesh skin on the north side ? ensuring clear, legible interiors. The result is a highly transparent library with easy access to the works available for consultation. The entrance, placed in the northeast corner of the building, opens on a forecourt set back from the urban intersection.

Historical references and minimal...