Interior view

Following the July Revolution of 1830, new ideas emerged among the younger generation of architects, ideas relating not just to choice of style, but also to a rational, function-oriented design and use of materials. One of the most important representatives of this approach was Henri Labrouste, a product of the �cole des Beaux-Arts who turned against the dogmatism of his alma mater. The ground plan of his Biblioth�que Sainte-Genevi�ve was developed from pragmatic considerations. The large, two-aisle reading room, visible in the interior as a cast-iron structure, occupies the upper story. The spare decoration of the fa�ade in an Italian Renaissance style is subordinated to the effect of the cubic structural mass. Above the plinth-style ground floor, the apertures of the large pillared arcading are partly filled with inscription panels, corresponding to the bookshelves inside; they also help to articulate otherwise blank wall surfaces and illuminate the function of the building.

The photo shows the reading room on the upper story.