Location: La Ferté-Bernard, France.

Architect: Agence Philippe Fichet.

The Jean d’Ormesson media library is set in a dense urban area, at the heart of the city. It is dramatized within a subtle mist coming from the ground and transforms the forecourt into a large mirror. The program emanates from the coming together of two facilities: a games library and the Médiathèque itself. The building’s wrapping is rooted in its own purpose, arrayed with textures, texts and signs, back against reflections and light shades. Functionalities result in a simple flowing volume, connecting the program and compulsory procedures of usage.

This approach allows for a coherent integration and homogenous landscaping of the surroundings. The upper floor’s momentum creates a signal and sheltered point through which one can access to the inside. Poles are developed into a core design from which users can move in a flexible and smooth movement. Materials include PMMA plaques, transparent pads of plastic, and see-through inserts to connect the Mediathèque to its surroundings. Little wavy pads blur the limit between the design and its own reflection.

Photo credit: Agence Philippe Fichet.