Enlarged and covered with a new envelope, the library opens onto the par. Strolling through the library is like strolling through a woodland. You can sit and read under the foliage of its roof. The project proposes the extension of the park, through the building, through the parking lot, to the surrounding thoroughfares.
Conceptual approach and existing building
The existing building is the core from which the project unfolds. It's the structure around which we graft a new envelope, allowing the building's surface to expand appropriately. This graft supports the management of the quantity of space and the quality of space.
Félix's external filter - reader comfort
Generous, glare-free natural lighting and a direct connection to the outdoors are important factors of comfort in a library. That's why we pay particular attention to the treatment of the envelope, which also enables us to optimize thermal comfort by taking advantage of solar energy.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
This project received honorable mention. This project was undoubtedly the most talked-about by the jury. After analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the submissions, it emerged as the one with the greatest qualities in its spatial organization, in the formulation of the link with the L'Odyssée school, and in its environmental control devices. The rectangular shape of the plan, the student circulation leading to the large central hall along the south-west façade, the ready/return counter positioned at the heart of the volume and the polarization of enclosed spaces and a large unified space on one side and the other, make up an almost ideal figure of the program in functional terms. The great versatility of such a layout is also appreciated. The sloping aerial tunnel towards the l'Odyssée school provides a comfortable walkway for pupils, while at the same time allowing for perpendicular pedestrian passage and the desired visual clearance between the Rue de l'Innovation and the Place de Ville park. The project's environmental ambitions are the most assertive of the lot. However, the schematic representation of the devices, in particular the large louvres, and the ambiguity raised by the desire to ensure both visual breakthroughs and to counter direct solar rays failed to convince beyond the intentions. The idea of a modulated unifying ceiling, which both associates and characterizes the project's different spaces under a single plane that folds and unfolds, was appealing, but its representation, again, put off some members of the jury, as did the explanation of its materialization, which left more than one perplexed. However, it was the relationship between the old and the new, and the architectural expression, described by some as blunt and lacking in nuance, that were the main stumbling blocks. While it was acknowledged that the project constituted an architectural manifesto, almost a plea for the requalification of the Val-Bélair district through the inscription of a strong and assertive gesture at its center, the virtual disappearance of what is currently an important object of pride and collective identity, namely the current library and its adjoining outdoor facilities, was deemed inadmissible by some members of the jury. Combined with the uncertainties raised about how the concept would actually be realized and perceived (especially in relation to the competition's initial focus on expansion), as well as the apparent difficulties of realizing it with quality materials within the projected budget, this project ultimately fell out of first place.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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- Site Plan
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