法国国家图书馆展览空间设计

An open pathThe exhibition design echoes the architecture of the building and its elements of furniture; it invites visitors to follow a free and immersive path. Disclosing the volume of Gallery 2, it does not include any partition but leaves the columns visible to generate rhythm in the area. It relies on the architectural elements of the library and sequences the 750 square metres available in four cells corresponding to the thematic sections of the exhibition path outlined by strips of metal mesh. Here made of aluminium while of stainless steel in the rest of the building, the mesh is an emblematic element of the BnF architecture. Five strips of coiled mesh (14 X 4 metres) are suspended 2,20 metres above the floor. They let the gallery opened, with no partition; they sequence the area and allow the light to come in with transparent effects. 80 chairs of the library are placed all over the exhibition area. Some of them are the original ones, made of wood. The other ones are new, made of wood and metal; in the long-term, they will be the only ones used in the BnF reading rooms. Randomly placed in the area, these chairs form some kind of a low cloth all over the surface. Visitors are free to sit on them to discover the videos.An immersive visitFour screens – 6.85 x 4 meteres each – are settled in each cell, at the center of the exhibition area. Of a scale in line with the space, they can be seen from both sides and contribute to the immersive effect. The thematic films projected and made by Richard Copans invite the visitors to grasp the monumental aspect of the BnF, its inclusion in the territory, the size of the garden as well as the Library’s elements of furniture. As visual accounts without words, they show original and outstanding images of the building taken by a drone flying over the garden or the neighbourhood. The light projected by the screens is reflected by meshes and creates a very special atmosphere made of light variations and transparency. The twilight connected to a minimalist soundscape further reinforces the visitor’s immersion in the space and history of the building.A documentary wanderingA series of wood showcases, lit from above, is arranged in the exhibition area. Each of them presents various documents and objects as well as a choice of video excerpts to listen to individually with headphones.  A picture rail on the side wall illustrates each thematic section through graphic materials never presented before. For example, the first section dedicated to the architectural object is the opportunity to discover some sketches, study drawings and plates presented for the international architecture competition in 1989.