Marseille - Archives and Departmental Library Gaston Defferre
Marseille 13003 - Bouches-du-Rhône
The need for a Departmental Loan Library:
Why a PO?
The departmental loan library, still called regional library centre of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in 1945 was located in the premises of the municipal library. In 1946, cth Regional Centre becomes one of the 17 central lending libraries with, for the first time in France, a building (600 m²) entirely dedicated to this activity. It was in 1986 that the PCO was renamed BDP and thus became a service managed by the General Council.
Like the archives, after several years, the departmental loan library had to deal with the problems of too narrow, insufficient and restricted spaces that it was facing. This is why, in 2000, the General Council decided to launch a project to build a new BDP on the same site as the departmental archives, which gave birth to the Gaston Defferre Departmental Archives and Library (former mayor of Marseille and father of decentralization) inaugurated in 2006.
Its main mission is to help develop a departmental network of public reading. To do this, the BOP must establish and make available a diversified range of documents for the network of 96 libraries (media/library assets to serve all municipalities of less than 20,000 inhabitants. It also advises on the construction, fit-up and equipment of libraries and provides training for library staff in its network. Its second mission is more of a mediation role. It promotes access to culture and seeks to broaden audiences. Thus, the BDP offers a wide range of events, meetings, shows and regularly installs exhibitions. In addition, a news room (kiosk, press reviews, multimedia activities) allows people who wish to discover a place for exchanges and meetings. Finally, not least, the last mission of the BDP is to encourage local actors from the book chain through support for creation and publishing, the development of artist residencies (writers, illustrators, etc.), and substantial purchases.
Staging of the library:
Look of the architect
First of all, the General Council had made available two plots of land (behind the St Martin d'Arenc church and the one currently occupied by the ABD) to build the archives on one side and the library on the other. In parallel with this request, the General Council had set other rules. These concerned, first of all, the establishment of a common entrance hall that could accommodate the public concerned by the two services in order to make them meet at the same place. The second requirement was the construction of a conference room and an exhibition room that were also common to both institutions. A first constraint was therefore imposed with the pooling of several rooms. If the buildings had been disconnected, they would have had to be connected by a bridge.
The second difficulty faced by the architect, Corinne Vezzoni, was the presence of two strong sites: the seaport and motorway axes. Thus, building two different buildings would have taken away the importance of the ABD. That is why, in view of this urban landscape, and in order to respond to the directives of the CG, it was essential to raise and impose a central building with strong radiation to respond to the immensity of the port and the highway.
The choice of the current land was made (facing the port) in order to extend the historical axis of the 19th creeks to the city.
The current layout of the archives and the library has been worked on so that the archives are located in the North to benefit from constant light and not to deteriorate the documents kept. They are located further away from the building in order to offer a more quiet and secure place. The library is located to the east and borders the balconies towards the garden. Its situation is thus more favorable because more silent and sheltered from the mistral.
The "reading gardens" are open to the neighborhoods (Arenc-Joliette) being redeveloped. They are attached to the equipment, isolated from outside noise, monitored and maintained by the department. The exterior surroundings therefore encourage people to practice the buildings.
Impacts - impacts…
The departmental library now has 5,400 m² of reserves, offices and places open to the public. It includes 466,000 books, 35,000 CDs, 820 CDs and 16,000 DVDs and videos. An annex is held in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
The BDP serves 95 of the department’s 119 municipalities or 490,000 inhabitants out of 1,905,000.
The meeting of a PO with an archive service had never been done before. By being located in the port area, in the Euro-Mediterranean area, between the Joliette Dock and that of the Suds, the ABD participate in the development of these districts. They lead an effort to democratize reading through a news room, exhibitions, an auditorium (200 seats), as well as places open to the outside. At a time of urban renewal of this space, the pooling of two departments of the department contributes to a greater opening of public services.
Surface : ABD = 28,000 m² / BDP = 5,400m²
Architect : Corinne Vezzoni; Vezzoni-Laporte agency and associates.
Cost €65 million (22% library / 78% archives)
- Sheet produced by Margaux Baussant, trainee at the drac Paca with the advisor for books and reading in the framework of a Master 1 "Law and Management of culture and media" at L'IMPGT, Institute of Public Management and Territorial Governance, University of Aix-Marseille.
Departmental Archives and Library Gaston Defferre
18, rue Mirès 13003 Marseille
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