Briançon - Media Library
Briançon 05 100 – Hautes-Alpes Population: 12,694
The town of Briançon is part of a mountainous territory, north of the Hautes-Alpes department and close to the Italian border. It is characterized by the importance of its historical heritage, like the fortifications of Vauban surrounding the city and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. This heritage has earned him the label «City of art and history», in order to encourage the valorization of this heritage forging its unique identity.
A new media library at the centre of an urban renewal project
In 2009, the urban project «Coeur de ville» was launched to convert the former military wasteland in Briançon. The objective of this project is to completely reorganize the city to create a real centre, develop dynamic public spaces and rethink the traffic plan accordingly. In this context, several new facilities are expected to be developed in the former military districts of Berwick and Colaud.
Built between two former barracks in the Berwick neighbourhood, a future eco-neighbourhood in the city, the future media library embodies this urban renewal initiative and is a landmark between the city’s military past and its future anchor. The integration of the Municipal Archives Service with the Media Library’s premises amplifies this dualistic and ambitious, culture-centred conception.
A more accessible and coherent project, addressing various issues
The public library is now relatively remote from the centre of the lower town and from school and social structures. It remains difficult to access for seniors and people with reduced mobility, and parking difficulties coupled with the lack of stops for public transport nearby do not help this problem. Moreover, the capacity of the premises is insufficient and the structuring of the spaces is inadequate to its current organization.
Taking these issues into account has led to the development of a new building that will be fully accessible. The development of the future media library will favour the mobility of spaces, which will be functional and versatile to accommodate various animations. The media library plans to target a plurality of audiences, so that everyone can appropriate this service independently and according to their needs. Particular attention will be given to the organization of spaces, which will be largely open to encourage family and friendly attendance. The new media library was designed as a comfortable place for meetings and exchanges.
The location of this future equipment will embody the link between culture and territory in the city of Briançon. The future cultural hub will be more accessible to the Briançonnais and will broaden and deepen the cultural offer present in the territory. In order to respond more adequately to the expectations and needs of audiences and to strengthen the cluster’s links with local cultural services in an efficient manner, great importance will be given to mutualisation. A reader card common to the libraries of the community of communes of Briançon should allow users to move easily between each equipment constituting the network.
Clear positioning for the development of culture and digital
Briançon’s media library will have several missions. It wishes to affirm its cultural function by contributing to the dynamism of the Briançon territory in this field. It plans to work for the development of culture by promoting collections and services that will develop reading as a leisure activity, but also by hosting and producing various cultural events.
The proposed collections will promote discovery, knowledge and open-mindedness in fields as diverse as the arts, sciences, letters and techniques, to satisfy the interests and curiosity of audiences. This new equipment must be able to accommodate a plurality of uses, taking into account the evolution of social and cultural practices of each.
This new service also plans to participate in the development of books and reading on the territory, by accompanying the audiences who need it most. He will put this mission into practice by creating spaces favourable to reading for all and by setting up various mediation actions. The documentary offer will be established in such a way as to favour a certain quality and diversity.
Similarly, it wishes to contribute to the development of digital practices. To do so, it will be based on a logic of sharing digital culture. This will be made effective by the promotion of various digital tools and the support and training necessary for their use. A dozen computer stations will be made available to users, in addition to tablets and e-readers, to allow everyone to access these resources.
The future media library also aims to make it possible to deepen knowledge by encouraging continuing training and self-training. Mediation actions for certain audiences may also be developed in partnership with other structures.
The Media Library plans to position itself in favour of academic success, by accompanying students and teachers according to their needs and by offering study conditions conducive to learning. For this, it will make available collections with educational and multidisciplinary content, in addition to multimedia resources.
The project also promotes a desire to disseminate information and documentation. The future media library plans to highlight a plurality of thought and opinions, at the centre of updated information, thus enhancing the critical mind of each individual as a citizen.
The library plans to expand its collections and strengthen some of its holdings. Over 8,000 new acquisitions will be added to the 22,000 documents in its possession today. The documentary offer will also be marked by the acquisition of specific funds. A fund will be dedicated to the digital and paper press, while two other funds will be dedicated to CD and DVD media, to create a musical and audiovisual offer within the service. The media library will also offer kiosks for listening, viewing, video games and documentaries. Each collection will be presented by theme. Mediation actions should highlight some of these resources to generate user interest.
A number of actions will be organized in partnership with the various cultural and social structures present in the territory. These can take the form of shows, concerts, literary, poetic or scientific cafés, as well as actions outside the walls aimed at so-called “prevented” audiences.
A unique project with a dual cultural dimension
The main feature of this project is the integration of the municipal archives service into the media library. The dual articulation of the future media library will give it an additional mission of management, conservation and valorization of the city’s archives and heritage holdings. The archives will be kept in the basement, in secure premises adapted to their conservation. Users will be able to consult the heritage collections and archives in the reading room shared with the media library.
In the context of the founding pooling of the future media library, the old and local archives will be integrated into the cultural programming of the media library. This includes the development of a variety of archive-centric offerings, with a view to introducing them to the public and increasing the visibility of the archives service. In this context, the cultural hub wishes to dedicate spaces dedicated to the valorization of archival documents and old collections. An exhibition space should be set up in conditions adapted to their conservation. The media library will be equipped with a room dedicated to the conduct of educational workshops, to which will be added an auditorium, with a greater capacity for hosting conferences. Each of these rooms will be able to operate autonomously.
A building within a sustainable approach
The architecture of the building will be consistent with its direct environment. Concrete and wood will combine with glass to bring a mineral and warm look. Large glazed façades and a closed patio in the centre of the building will allow light to enter the media library. The building will open onto the public garden, and the green roofs will mark a definite proximity to nature.
The architectural project is part of the «Mediterranean Sustainable Buildings» approach. This certification attests to a favourable approach to reducing the environmental impact by choosing the materials used for the construction, with the aim of reducing energy consumption. This initiative is consistent with the eco-neighbourhood concept in which it is embedded.
The city of Briançon is located in the centre of the Grand Briançonnais, thus placing this project in an intercommunal perspective. In construction since the fall of 2017, the media library plans to open its doors in September 2019. The implementation of this project will contribute in a certain way to the realization of an attractive and coherent ensemble, both inspired by the historical heritage of the city and inscribed in modernity.
Architect : Gautier Conquet in Lyon
Localization : Briançon
Size of media library : 1760 m2
Estimated cost of work : €4,177,292 excluding tax
State aid €2,068,471 excluding tax
* Sheet prepared by Amélia Dreystadt, intern at the Drac Paca with the advisor for books and reading as part of a Master 1 Law and Management of Culture and Media at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Aix-Marseille.
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