Médiathèque de Vénissieux

This library in the town of Venissieux, outside Lyon in France, is sited at street level, flush with an adjacent square and open to the town and its surroundings. The architects wished to design a glass box with little internal hierarchy, in which all of the functions are brought together on the same level, girdled by a peristyle gallery. The program included lecture reading rooms for children and adults, study rooms, a reception area, offices, exhibition place, lecture room, and parking. The gallery opens to a green landscape on one side, and to the town’s activities on the other.
At the heart of this assemblage, the entrance hall is in the form of an urban passageway between the square (to the west) and the courtyard (to the east). From this space one can reach the offices located in a small elevation placed on the roof of the larger structure. The roof is pierced by overhead openings that bring daylight to the interior of the building. The offices form an independent entity yet are fluidly connected to the activities of the library. Furniture is used to create a horizontal, partitioning element inside the large reading room. This vibrant and open elevation is an appealing place for gathering and for reading. The strength of the scheme resides in its simplicity - the ground floor is reserved for the library with the small building for the services, the result being a compact, sun-lit environment.