Public Archives and Library in Montpellier
The site is nondescript and typical of the periphery of cities in southern France. There are rows and rows of inexpensively built housing for the lower income brackets, a thoroughfare heading out of town, generic commercial structures, and vacated premises. What makes this an out-of-the-ordinary setting? The fact that it is in Montpellier, one of the fastest growing cities in all of France. The city’s newly acquired self-confidence is expressed by the increasing number of architectural landmarks: on the south side of the city, an eight-storey, dark-blue steel cube designed by Jean Nouvel looms like an entrance gate above the park, and on the east side, a shiny, aluminium-clad development – accommodating a school of tourism, residential towers, and a sports hall – has been opened. The concept for Zaha Hadid’s building predated these two projects, but took the longest to be completed.
