CAEN LIBRARY

In collaboration with OMA.

The Bibliothèque Alexis de Tocqueville is the new public library for the metropolitan region of Caen la Mer in Normandy, France. Located at the Bassin Saint-Pierre at the intersection of the city’s historic core and the new eastern redevelopment area La Grande Mosaic, the 12.500m² multimedia library is a prominent new public center for Caen.

The library’s cross-shaped floorplan references important urban landmarks, pointing to the two historic abbeys, to the train station, and to the new urban development in the south. The main public interior space is a vast panoramic reading room on the first floor. Here, the cityscape of Caen enters the world of books and digital media. Custom-engineered load-bearing glass façade panels maximize openness and transparency. The completely column-free space allows the four different sectors⁠—human sciences, science and technology, literature, and the arts⁠—to be optimally connected.

The library is equipped to redefine public reading. It has a large variety of work and reading spaces as well as 120,000 documents. Along with the physical collection, a digital extension is integrated into the bookshelves. The building is also flexible in function, allowing the ground floor exhibition space, auditorium and restaurant to host⁠—or be rented for⁠—various events, even after the library closes.