Formerly known as the Bibliotheque du Roi, the Richelieu site of the National Library of France near the Palais-Royal has finally completed construction after almost 10 years of renovations.
The transformation of the 300-year-old site included facade restorations, installation of an interior garden, and facilities maintenances, promoting innovation, modernity, and openness to a wider public.
The work done on the library is considered as one of the major projects led by France’s Ministry of Culture and Communication with the support of the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research. The architects in charge of the renovation were Atelier Bruno Gaudin, along with EGIS, CASSO, and 8’18.
The monumental structure has been refurbished to preserve its historic collections and maintain international standards of safety and accessibility. After the renovation, more than 20 million documents have been conserved in the new library.
The first phase of the work, which took place from 2011 — 2016 included renovations on the half of the building located along the Rue de Richelieu, which include exhibition spaces, bookstore, a café, educational spaces, and commercial stores. From 2017 to 2021, renovation work was done on the half of the building that is located along Rue Vivienne, which include the Mazarine gallery, the oval room, the King’s Cabinet, the Vivienne garden, and the museum.
The site is expected to be open to the public in summer of 2022.
Source: www.archdaily.com