Mr Mitterrand saw his project as providing state-of-the-art library facilities for all

Mr Mitterrand saw his project as providing state-of-the-art library facilities for all. But experts asked whether storing great numbers of books might be a thing of the past, given the widespread use of computers. The library now combines on-line facilities with the national library collection.Then there was the design. It is a gigantic rectangle, with towers at the four corners in the shape of open books.

A central courtyard with pine trees provides space for “contemplation”. Criticisms have ranged from “compact and cold” to “monumental on an inhuman scale”. Distances are huge, prompting questions about how long it will take to obtain a book. Vast staircases lead to the entrance, leading one local resident to ask how anyone but the hardiest would make the climb.Supporters of the building say that the design had to be adapted to the demands of a library.

The towers were planned to be transparent and to accommodate the book stacks – but the glass is now dulled by wooden blinds to keep out the sunlight and protect the books.When it was decided that the building would house the national library collection in addition to new facilities, capacity had to be increased from 5 million to more than 10 million volumes. The towers had to be reinforced to carry the weight, and their height reduced from 100m to 90m. This, say some, makes the ensemble less impressive – or, to quote another local resident: “they’re not beautiful, not ugly, just squat.”The location, in a wasteland of eastern Paris was also questioned. An urban development plan was supposed to revive the whole area, but this has since been pared down and is now frozen. A new metro line was planned to link the library site with the city centre, but this will not be ready now until the summer of 1998 at the earliest.