Bibliotheques Sainte - Genevieve:
The First Modern Public Building in Paris
David Geudelekian
The Bibliotheques St. Genevieve presented a new architectural style and technique in construction. The library was built in Paris between 1843 and 1850, also spanning the revolution of 1848. This structure was the first in Paris to employ mass produced iron beams which displayed the modernity of construction and architecture at that time. This challenged the current process of construction in Paris, and the look of the building sharply contrasted it's neighbors. Mass produced iron beams and other materials marked the birth of the effect of industrialization on architecture. The library's bold looks and aesthetic exterior contrasted the other classical buildings around it. Socially, the library was the first "stand alone" library in Paris (previously libraries were privately owned and maintained, and never open to the public). The interior of the library exposed the cast iron, and steel structure of the construction, while preserving space for the massive amount of books and people which would be passing through the library. On the exterior of the library were inscriptions of the names of all the authors whose books were housed inside. This highlighted the power of the individual, the strength of unity and the positive outcome derived from the union of people. The building came to symbolize the spirit of change in the role of the individual in society. The intelligence and inventiveness of the individual captured by the architect, Labrouste, in this functional and attractive library. The concept of a public library, even one restricted to a small elite, was liberal and radical, during the time of the revolution. The library was and remains A place where the public could meet and seek knowledge, and exchange ideas and concepts. It was A proving ground for new theses and arguments, where the enlightened would debate, and the ignorant would be enlightened. The union of form and function, all produced by a rapidly changing and modernizing technology, proved that the Bibliotheques St. Genevieve was the first "modern" public building in Paris.