Picture yourself enjoying a chilled out vacation at an exotic island or seaside town…Playing in the sand, enjoying your favourite music, soaking up the sun and sipping on your pina colada. In the midst, you realize that you’ve forgotten to pack the latest edition of your favourite magazines. That’s not a problem!! You are sure to find an interesting & inspiring read if you are holidaying on the La Romaniquette beach in Istres in southern France because designer Matali Crasset has installed a mobile library with a collection of over 300 titles to choose from.
The ‘Bibliothèque de Plage’, meaning a ‘beach library’ is a colourful structure made from steel, wood and tarpaulin and is covered by a large canopy to protect the visitors and the books from the sun. While the library sits in the centre, three alcoves are found along the outer perimeter of the space, inviting people to grab a book and rest in the shade of the shelter. Crasset’s idea of the beach library was something vivid and enticing with bright colours. “The color orange, for me, represents the presence of all the energy, creativity and imagination you get in the books. When you read a book you want a transformation, a kind of energy or capacity to go elsewhere.” – says Matali Crasset.
The structure can be erected with minimal use of tools & labour and it can easily be integrated amongst the other shops inspiring people to indulge into reading. As per sources, the collection of books include Crasset’s favourite novels: ‘Things’ by George Perec, ‘The Poetics of Space’ by Gaston Bachelard and ‘Eat Me’ by Agnes Desarthes.
As part of this project, designer Matali Crasset aims at creating an interactive human experience and “brings books to the population to encourage the practice of not only reading, but of lending.”
Images © Philippe Piron