JEAN D'ORMESSON LIBRARY IN VENDARGUES | Romain JAMOT

The Jean d'Ormesson library is located in the northern part of the town of Vendargues, in a particular urban context. It is 10 minutes from the village's center (town hall) and 20-25 minutes from the southern extremities of the agglomeration. The neighborhood is mainly residential and has two schools (Ribambelle and Garrigues schools), a medical center, a stadium and a nursery. The library is ideally located and easily accessible.

The Library is located on the upper part of the parcel, which is on the flattest part of the site. The topology was taken into account in the design and implementation of the building. The library forecourt is an extension to highlight the building. This public space marks a gradual entry into the library and allows the inhabitants to benefit from a vegetated living area punctuated with urban furniture such as benches.

The building, built on one level, is a monolith with a regular geometry and a linear shape oriented north-south. The idea of this project is to work on a simple and discreet building that integrates easily into the site by using a mineral material, Etenit. This volume also allows for a logical spatial organization that can be easily understood by users from the forecourt to the interior spaces that unfold in a linear fashion on the site.

The building is organized into two poles: the spaces dedicated to the service staff and the spaces accessible to the public. The two entrances are clearly separated. The public access is located in the continuity of the forecourt on the south side. The staff has an access on the east side. The public accesses through the hall. This volume is an entrance lock separating the exterior from the library space itself.  The "book" area is lodged in a large single volume allowing direct access to the entire collection available to users. The activity rooms are located on the east side of the building and are accessible from the main space. The storeroom and sanitary facilities are located in the middle of the building, facilitating access from the "book" area. The service and technical rooms are served from a corridor linking the service entrance to the main area. The interior spaces are treated with dynamic colors that contrast with the monolithic exterior of the building

A particular work has been carried to the thickness of the walls in this project, both inside and outside the building. All the facades of the library are treated according to the orientations. The entrance is made through the main facade facing south, which is composed of a glass wall. A shaded overhang is built for thermal comfort in summer. The West façade is equipped with a thick wall creating a depth at the level of the joineries, alcoves, which are protected from the sun. At the level of the north facade, a patio welcomes the reading garden which is completely integrated into the built volume. The exterior openings are made of expanded metal, which acts as both a sun and a view breaker. Thus the place is secure and intimate while allowing the view to the outside spaces. On the roof, skylights were installed to provide zenithal lighting inside the library.