A classic mansion located in the heart of the town of Pélissanne, France, has been converted into a library: the
Piero Bottero Media Library , named after a fiction writer who spent much of his life in the region.
The
Dominique Coulon & Associés office, which led the project, invested in a powerful
glass façade that overlooks a tree-lined public park. The green of the plants is reflected in the façade, creating a harmony and a reminder of the colors of the former residence. The library and media center were designed in such a way that they occupied one of the city's historic buildings - the
Maison Maureau . A complement to the public park.
“The position of the media library respects the integrity of the park and the house. It establishes a dialogue between two eras, two dimensions, by opposing the verticality of the house’s volume to the horizontality of the extension,” says one of the architects leading the project.
The other rooms were redesigned to house
reading spaces or as
coworking spaces for meetings. The
glass façade is impressive. Strategically placed to connect the ground floor spaces and overlook the park, those inside the library can enjoy an inspiring and breathtaking view.
Divided into two floors, a wooden staircase was incorporated to take visitors to a calmer and quieter space, where they can enjoy time for their reading. "While the ground floor opens onto Maureau Park and allows readers to immerse themselves in the landscape, the first floor is closed and more introverted," the studio said.
To bring back memories of the old mansion, the architects chose to establish a
symbolic palette with the colors of the old residence in green and white , and as a bonus, the colors combined very well to create an atmosphere of concentration and calm, perfect for the environment.
