Learning resource center

The cathedral of Sfax is the iconic heritage of the city, an important monument dear to all Sfaxians.

 The choice to convert the cathedral into a last generation library demonstrates the cultural activity of the city, a city in continuous evolution.

 The first stone of the cathedral was placed the 21st of April 1940, during the Second World War. Only 13 years later will the inauguration take place, the 28thof June,1953.

 Although being consacrated for Catholic practice, it has rarely been used as its original function.  After being donated to the Tunisian government by the church, it was converted into a sport hall.

 The idea is to transform this space into a place of knowledge, experimentation and cultural exchange. A rich and varied cultural program would be animated by these spaces.

 The building is a reinforced concrete monolith composed of a central hall of 1500 square meters.

 Natural light floods the inner space, penetrating through numerous perforated openings in the prefabricated concrete panels that close the facades. Even during the time of construction the structure and technology of the design distinguished the cathedral as innovative and modern, with its straight lines and its use of concrete.

The Learning Resource Centre project remains coherent with the essence of its original design, diverging from a traditional library, and creating a space of innovation and research.

 The refurbished space behind the main facade will substitute and improve previous interventions and will provide a new space for the city. The piazza will be the element of union between indoor and outdoor space, and the front facade, made permeable and more transparent, will allow people outside to catch a glimpse of the inner spaces, encouraging them to enter and to discover the new environment.

A café in the lobby will welcome the visitors offering a dynamic space of conversation and knowledge.

 The volume will be subdivided in different levels; the first floor in connection with the foyer will encompass an enclosed volume rising 6 meters that will contain an exhibition space and a multifunctional room for performance, conferences and shows. These two spaces come in connection in another area that is designed to encourage the access to vertical connections like the glass elevator.

 All around in the ambulatory, activities of logistics and of support to the structure will take place.

 The second floor, called mezzanine, presents itself as a terrace inside the great space of the cathedral.

 This environment gleams with the light of the multi-coloured glass, and includesmultimedia shelves, workstations, sitting rooms and more intimate areas for studying and group work.

 The mezzanine is designed on two levels, connected with a ramp for the disabled and with wide steps where you can sit on comfortable pillows. The ramp also has the function of a play area for the entertainment of children.

 In the third and last floor three islands float in space. These three satellites, reached with the elevator and steel stairs, and connected with a gangway, are yet another moment that creates a breath-taking view of the monumental spaciousness of the building.This more reserved area is prescribed for seminars and group work, and is equipped with all technological instruments for conferences and presentations.The Learning Resource Centre of Sfax, will become, thanks to the offer and the available resources, a cultural stimulant for the city. It will bring forth a rich artistic and cultural programme that will stimulate, through modernity and efficacy, a curious and pleasant exchange of ideas and new activities.