BAnQ’s Grand Library – Montreal

“I will always remember the first time I visited the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec (BANQ) in the Latin Quarter. Over the years, it has become a place to which I have returned often and in which I feel serene. This immense building emerges from the ground, connected by multiple accesses to the dense and hectic network that lies beneath it. By its imposing presence, it is a reflection of the activity of the metropolis, of the flow of anonymous people who pass through it without even realizing it. During the day, despite its size, it disappears into the clouds, enveloped by the reflections of the sky above it and the buildings that surround it. At night, it is a lighthouse in the city. It is a crossroads between so many spaces, non-places, services, people, that it often becomes a meeting point.

I like this space because it extends on the public domain, while allowing to be sheltered from it, a kind of haven. A refuge from the cold, the rain, but also from the incessant noise. When one arrives there from the metro, one discovers a vast interior public square, cleared upwards on a surprising scale. This space radiates by its emptiness. In this hollow is the second skin of the library, an interior wooden facade, whose porosity allows a glimpse of the animation, or the ambient calm, which reflects the time of day. In short, for me, entering the library is synonymous with discovery, security and familiarity. This space also represents quality in the sense that it is open to the city and open to all.

It’s a place where I’ve talked to strangers, where I’ve met teammates for teamwork, where I’ve sat in the chairs for a long time, contemplating the view from the 4th floor, on a day when I didn’t feel like doing more. It’s a place where I can come in alone, without being obliged to consume anything, to be dressed in a certain way, where the only requirement is silence and respect for others. Quite simply, it is a space where I can go to the bathroom and fill my water bottle, a space where I can stroll, work, read, sleep and meet. I hope that this space will evolve and transform over time to keep the qualities that make it special to me.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.48).

Google map link: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Grande+Biblioth%C3%A8que+de+BAnQ/@45.515459,-73.5648932,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x4cc91bb33b2f88f9:0xc74e1f9c890593ed!8m2!3d45.5154553!4d-73.5623129!16zL20vMDQ0M2Y2!5m1!1e1