Library Buildings around the World

Atelier TAG (Manon Asselin), Montréal, QC - Canada
http://www.ateliertag.com
Libraries :
Bibliothèque Raymond-Lévesque Saint Hubert, Ville de Longueil (Montréal), QC – Canada 2010
SAINT-HUBERT. La nouvelle bibliothèque municipale qui sera bientôt construite dans l’arrondissement de Saint-Hubert sera
unique en bien des points. Située au cœur du Parc de la Cité, elle s’harmonisera à merveille à son environnement puisque sa
conception est tout ce qu’il y a de plus «vert». La Ville de Longueuil a dévoilé aujourd’hui le concept architectural de cette
bibliothèque, qui intègre tous les principes fondamentaux du développement durable. Réalisé au coût de 14 M$, le bâtiment moderne
privilégiera des matériaux nobles, notamment le bois torréfié, qui se veut être actuellement le meilleur choix écologique, de l’avis de
l’architecte Manon Asselin. Grâce à son toit végétal, à une abondante fenestration et au système géothermique qui permettra un
transfert de chaleur, l’hiver, et de fraîcheur, l’été, la consommation d’énergie sera réduite de 50% et le bâtiment utilisera plus de
40% des énergies renouvelables. Les eaux de pluie provenant du toit seront captées pour servir à l’irrigation des marais
environnants et pour rafraîchir la cour intérieure du bâtiment plutôt que d’être dirigées vers le système d’égout pluvial.
«La Ville de Longueuil a été visionnaire en demandant une conception qui a recours aux principes fondamentaux du développement
durable. C’est d’ailleurs la première fois qu’une telle exigence est faite lors d’un concours d’architecture provincial», a spécifié
Manon Assselin, du consortium d’architectes retenu, Manon Asselin + Jodoin Lamarre Pratte. La nouvelle bibliothèque regroupera
sur une superficie de plancher de 4000 m2 une collection de quelque 230 000 volumes, soit 140 000 de plus que dans l’actuelle
bibliothèque. Elle ouvrira ses portes au printemps 2010. (http://lecourrierdusud.canoe.ca)
This project, a new main library for the borough of Saint-Hubert in Longueuil, represents the winning entry in a Quebec-wide
architectural competition held in the fall of 2008. The building will be situated at the northwest entrance to the Parc de la Cité, the
city's principal civic park covering 50 hectares of land. Straddling city and park, the library acts simultaneously as a gateway
pavilion, an institutional building, a civic structure and a cultural centre. It is conceived to provide designated areas for young
families, children, daycare and school groups as well as for adolescents, adults and retirees. It will provide a platform not only for
learning but also for vital intergenerational exchanges within the community. Its program will offer traditional library services,
access and dissemination of new technologies as well as a wide range of public activities including a café and multipurpose exhibition
room. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Saint-Hubert's built environment and cultural heritage has been intimately linked to
Quebec's aeronautics industry. Due to its geographic location, Saint-Hubert benefits from unique meteorological conditions resulting
in a remarkable potential for wind energy. The architecture of the new library is sculpted in response to this force of nature,
poetically materializing and celebrating the presence of the wind while technically seeking to take advantage of this resource for its
bioclimatic strategy. Delicately sited between protected wetlands and a red maple forest, the new library explores an essential link
with Saint-Hubert's most important natural environment. Beyond the formal allegory of the flying carpet, the architectural concept
is foremost an elementary bioclimatic response to the site's conditions. Its geometry speaks of the renewable natural resources of the
earth--the wind, the sun and the rain. From west to east, its roofscape bends under the prevailing winds. The giant cut at its centre
collects the rainwater in a retention basin while the wood blades of its filigree envelope filter the sunlight. The façade composition of
wood louvres, inclined according to the path of the sun, highlights the constructional nature of the filigree assembly and its spatial
and aerial qualities. The programmatic elements are organized in a single continuous move that unfolds from the public place to the
forest, delineating a central open court. This exterior court forms the geographic, social and perceptual heart of the library. Acting
as contemplative space and oasis, the court visually connects while keeping adjacent program elements physically separated. While
allowing for the deep penetration of natural light, it facilitates orientation, organizes the different collections, and ensures the
tranquility of the main reading room. In winter, its carpet of snow will accentuate the luminosity and peacefulness of the library
spaces. Working with a team of engineers from the very outset of the competition, reduction in environmental footprint was taken
into account throughout the development of the project by considering the synergy between the building's key phases of design,
construction, commissioning and maintenance. As such, the project's bioclimatic concept relies on using as much as possible the
surrounding climatic resources: sun, water, wind and earth--in the form of geothermal energy. Moreover, the building's HVAC is
supplemented by a controlled natural ventilation system and the protected microclimate of the central exterior court.
GH: The simple elegance of this proposal is a joy to behold. The library will be a glass pavilion in the woods. I could imagine
spending hours reading there. I generally hate folded buildings, but this one has subtle folds sculpted by the sun's path. These
architects have serious talent.
JPL: This very poetic project constitutes a great example of sensitive and mature planning. The architects worked with the
metaphor of a flying carpet, creating a central organizing element through the introduction of an open court flooded with natural
light. This area solves several programmatic issues while allowing the users to easily relate to the various sections of the library. The
compact building envelope remains remarkably open to its park-like setting which will no doubt provide users with a variety of rich
experiences. The detailing seems to be carefully thought through and the use of wooden slats on the façade nicely echo the
surrounding woods.
PR: This is a fabulous library that is true to its concept, and thoughtfully and elegantly composed. With respect to the interior in
establishing a connection to the forest, the building's massing is purposeful, with generous spatial conditions. However, the design
certainly contains a lot of glass in its building envelope for such a cold climate, something which should necessitate the use of highperformance
glazing.
Bibliothèque Municipale de Chateauguay, Chateauguay, QC – Canada 2006
Architect Atelier Tag and Jodoin Lamarre Pratte et Associes Architectes
Client: City of Chateauguay
The winner of an open architectural competition that was held in Quebec in 2001, the new Municipal Library of Châteauguay is
located in the city's Honoré-Mercier park, a welcome addition to the existing cluster of municipal services buildings on site.
Châteauguay, a south-shore suburb of Montreal, fell prey to the urban sprawl that started in the 1970s. Quite apart from its
importance as a home to more than 150,000 documents--including periodicals, reference and audio-visual material--the new library
functions as an important symbol of renewal in this bleak landscape of tract housing and strip malls.
The architects clearly understand the important role that a small municipal library plays in such suburban context, and have
created a true public space that is meaningful to its community and a source of civic pride. To convey a sense of monumentality
critical to the project's success, architects Manon Asselin and Katsuhiro Yamazaki conceived of the street-facing front elevation as
an expansive plane of roughly hewn stone suspended high above the ground on pilotis, articulated through simple load-bearing
masonry, preserving scale, mass and texture. In contrast to this solidity, the largely glazed back elevation opens the library's contents
and inner functions to the natural amphitheatre of the park. The library maximizes the site's public setting to create a focus of social
spectacle and community gathering.
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