Bibliothèque Nationale
France > Paris > Southern > 13e > Bibliothèque Nationale

National Library

Following rue Tolbiac or boulevard Vincent-Auriol to the river, you reach a vast building site which, the French economy permitting, is slowly being transformed into an entirely new district called Paris Rive Gauche, stretching from the Gare d'Austerlitz to the perimeter. Its star attraction, which Mitterrand managed to inaugurate though not open just before his death, is the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, accessible from the métro stations at quai de la Gare or the spanking new Bibliothèque-François Mitterrand station. There are occasional small-scale exhibitions, and the reading rooms on the "haut-jardin" level – along with their unrivalled collection of foreign newspapers – are open to everyone over 16 (Tues–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun noon–7pm; €3 for a day pass; www.bnf.fr). The garden level, below, is reserved for accredited researchers only, while the garden itself is completely out of bounds.

The four enormous L-shaped towers at the corners of the site were intended to look like open books, but attracted widespread derision after shutters had to be added behind the glazing in order to protect the collections from sunlight. Once you mount the wooden steps surrounding the library, however, the perspective changes utterly. Now you're looking down into a huge sunken pine wood, with glass walls that filter light into the floors below your feet; it's like standing at the edge of a secret ravine. The concept is startlingly original, and almost fulfils architect Dominique Perault's intention to seek "a kind of sensibility capable of combining rigour and emotion, which will generate a sense of dignity, a well-tempered soul for the buildings of the French Republic."

Independently of the official plans, interesting cultural events are springing up in their own right. There are several barges – an ex-lighthouse boat and a Chinese barge amongst them – moored along the quay in front of the library that make excellent places for a drink and live music, and cutting-edge art galleries have sprung up on rue Louise Weiss, behind the library. It's not all new, though: the gigantic old mills and warehouses just south of Pont de Tolbiac, occupied by musicians, anarchists, oddballs and artists, are, thankfully, set to stay, but have a fight on their hands to keep the space around them free.