Third-Place Library “La Source”
Supporting the Transformation of the Historic Center through culture
The Saint-Joseph Chapel was built, expanded, and modified between 1638 and 1734, replacing a modest hermitage and using stones from the Castellas Castle, which had been destroyed during the Wars of Religion. Since the French Revolution, the chapel has been repurposed multiple times as a town hall, school, and municipal office. In 1995, the attached residential building was demolished, creating a small square at the corner of Rue de l’Église and Rue du Grand Pont. This open space in the dense urban fabric of Rochefort-du-Gard’s historic center had remained underutilized.
The square is bordered to the east by the Saint-Joseph Chapel—used as the town hall until it was closed in 2017 due to structural risks—and to the south by a derelict, windowless barn.
The renovation and extension of the Saint-Joseph Chapel into a Third-Place Library marks a significant urban act—preserving heritage while revitalizing the village’s daily life, which has been impacted by population decline in favor of surrounding areas.
The primary goal was to bring the community of Rochefort-du-Gard together around a vibrant cultural identity. The project is organized around the village square, establishing a strong relationship with the library’s ground floor to enable cultural events to extend outdoors.
The north façade, fitted with accordion-style folding glass doors, opens completely to foster engagement with the town, blurring boundaries and expanding possibilities.
A bridge connects the new library to the rehabilitated Saint-Joseph Chapel, which now houses a digital museum. The museum will host diverse educational workshops throughout the year, centered around various cultural themes.
A Contemporary Rural Identity
The materials of the extension reflect a layered duality.
At ground level, the mass of the concrete base forms a protective plinth that echoes the village’s stone architecture. The walls are bush-hammered to develop a texture and patina that harmonize with the surrounding masonry. Concrete is also used for its structural strength, allowing a span of over fifteen meters so that the library’s boundary disappears entirely when the folding doors are opened.
The upper level is built with a wooden post-and-beam structure, adding lightness while allowing for overhangs and discreet rainwater management. The metal roof adjusts to the neighboring parcel’s geometry, sloping gently toward the square and reducing the volume’s scale near the historic chapel.
In contrast with the chapel’s opaque façade, the library emphasizes horizontal transparency with large windows that invite residents to enter and take part in this new cultural energy.
Interior bias
The interior spaces are designed with clarity and restraint. The library’s identity emerges from its raw materials and the legibility of its construction.
At ground level, the exterior paving continues inside, leading to a central service spine marked by concrete columns. This zone includes restrooms, reception, vertical circulation, and technical rooms. Wood infill is used to enclose these spaces, incorporate built-in furniture, and route utility networks. This alternating rhythm creates a flexible, modular layout.
Upstairs, timber portals align with the window frames and guide views toward the village square below. The ceiling structure—comprising pine rafters and panels—forms the underside of a calm reading area.
The central service spine continues on the upper level, integrating more technical spaces. Wood paneling is used throughout, creating a warm, uniform backdrop that highlights the books and cultural displays. The upper floor thus has a distinct identity, offering a contrast to the ground level and enabling varied atmospheres within the same building.
The Saint-Joseph Chapel has been fully restored: the main vaults reinforced, and new tension rods with hidden anchor plates installed. A patina wash was applied to the interior walls, restoring visual coherence while preserving the original stone texture.
New wooden furniture houses all the necessary digital museum equipment and delineates the director’s office, which is open to the exhibition space. A large pendant light completes the understated intervention—preserving the chapel’s spatial quality while reimagining it as a contemporary cultural venue.
The Third-Place Library acts as a bridge between an important heritage of the Village of Rochefort-du-Gard and a new facility resolutely open and focused on making culture available to all.
