Its modern design features four towers symbolizing open books.
The National Library of France, also known as BNF is the largest library in the country and one of the most important worldwide. Physical collections that houses are estimated at about 30 million volumes and also has an outstanding digital library of documents and images: Gallica.
The headquarters of the National Library of France is in the “Mitterrand site,” the modern building opened in 1998 in District XIII, but its activities also develop in other buildings and offices in Paris and elsewhere in France.One of the delegations is “Site Richelieu,” historic seat of the library since 1720. Occupying the whole ring Richelieu, between Calle des Petits-Champs, Vivienne, Louvois and Richelieu, in the 2nd District, especially noted the oval room, designed by Pascal, built in 1916. Richelieu site consists essentially of reading rooms, shops and offices, as well as three museums: Mazarine Gallery, the photo gallery or gallery Mansart and the crypt for small exhibitions.
With the passage of time, the library saw its assets for various reasons, and evolve their status, actual library service of the state to independent public institution. Specific donations or complete collections, acquisitions of new works and rare books, exchanges with foreign libraries, as well as seizures at the time of the Revolution that documents recovered from the abbeys, colleges and universities, all helped to enrich and expand the heritage of the library. Thus, in response to a larger space to organize and allow better access to information by the public, President Mitterrand said in 1988 the new construction, choosing the Tolbiac district as the site.
The project for the new building was the brainchild of Dominique Perrault. The library occupies an area of 7.5 hectares, with a concourse of 60,000 m2. In its vertices are erected 4 corner towers of 79 meters (called towers of time, the letters, numbers and laws) symbolizing open books. In addition to reading and research rooms are two exhibition halls and two auditoriums for lectures, conferences and concerts. In the west hall call attention to two huge balloons of almost 4 meters in diameter and weighing two tons each, representing earth and heaven, Coronelli globes. The Venetian monk Vincenzo Coronelli, famous for his depictions of balloons, built as a gift to King Louis XIV and now form part of the patrimony of the library.
Other branches of the national library in Paris is the place de l’Arsenal, who saved a million copies, including books, newspapers, maps, manuscripts, etc.. And the library-museum of l’Opera, in the heart of the Opera Garnier, especially dedicated to everything related to music and opera scores, costumes, models, photographs.
Outside Paris, technical centers Bussy-Saint-Georges and Sable-sur-Sarthe is particularly concerned with the restoration and archiving of certain documents. Finally, in the house Jean Vilar, Avignon, preserved files that have to do with art and entertainment.