Project program :

Since many years SAINT-SYLVAIN has grown a demographically with many new people moving to the village.

The town had several premises allowing the various local associations to carry out their activities. But since 2008, many projects initiated by the municipality unfortunately reduced the number of these premises.

The current library was created in the early 80s. It is located in the Town Hall. With an area approximately around 34 m², the equipment no longer meets the needs of the inhabitants and doesn’t allow them to organize various events and activities.

Thus, in order to find a solution to this situation, the village has decided build a media library.

The new media library will be located behind the town hall and will be integrated into the center of the village.

 

The new equipment will be located in place of the old fire station along a street named “Rue Froide”.

This road is a traditional village street with essentially some vernacular urban fabric on either side and roads that disappear according to urban alignments. Most part of the buildings are made of Caen stone, with a church and its steeple listed as part of the city's heritage.

The town hall building and the church delimit a generously planted plot which hosts games for children. A large car park with around twenty spaces completes the urban development.

 

The media library is located along this green plot and face the parking area. From the center of the plot, the equipment seems to be a one floor building. It is a compact building shaped like a diamond. Each side of the library face different part of the landscape. Despite its scale, the building looks well integrated to the site. Along the building there is a ramp for disable people or for the many nannies coming daily with their kids on their stroller. This ramp gives access to the terrace with the main entrance of the media library. Even if the terrace is difficult to see from the heart of the block, it is an outdoor space open to the village.

 

From the street level, the equipment is settled in the same alignment than the existing path. The ground floor is dedicated to the Youth space, this space is totally independent from the rest of the building. The volume is in front of a small square and gives access to a big exterior stair leading to the parking area or to the media library entrance. From the street the library is setting back and create a generous terrace. Thus, the ground square and the terrace are two public open spaces connected but independent. At the media library floor, the exhibition room can be open on the terrace and extend its activities outside.

 

Inside the media library, the reading rooms are bath with lighting thanks to the many big windows framing the landscape. It is a big open space with a homogenous floor which offer great flexibility for the furniture layout. The different reading rooms will be divided only by the furniture shelves. According/depending to the events the open space will be able to evolve.

 

The ceiling of the open space is partially covered with some acoustic panels to give a height volume inside.

To keep an eye to the public in the reading rooms, the office desk for the media library employed will have a window. This space could be close with a curtain.

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