tvk and carmody groarke collaborate on new conservation center for french national library

BnF’s New Conservation Center and National Press Conservatory

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) and OPPIC (Ministry of Culture for France) have announced TVK and Carmody Groarke as the winners of an international competition for the BnF’s new Conservation Center and National Press Conservatory on the former Amiens hospital north site.

Established in the 14th century, the BnF houses the French National Library collection, comprising over 40 million documents, including books, journals, manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps, coins, medals, videos, and sound documents. With facilities struggling to meet evolving collection care standards, and repositories nearing capacity, the BnF requires a new archive to accommodate the growing collection.

The new conservation center aims to create a world-class archive for preserving French cultural heritage, setting a new standard for library conservation and management. The project comprises two buildings within an 11,000 sqm masterplan: a 180m-long passive archive building for state-of-the-art collection storage, and a bespoke timber-framed office building for people and conservation processes.

all images by Jeudi Wang

a New Cultural Hub and Landmark in Amiens

Located on the former Amiens hospital’s north site, the initiative forms part of an urban plan to establish a new cultural center to the north and create a civic landmark in Amiens. The archive building will house the renowned French National Library collection, featuring a vast single room with fully automated storage and retrieval systems operated by state-of-the-art robotic technology.

The workplace building, positioned in front of the archive, will facilitate modern digitization of the historic collection and day-to-day collection care and management. Structured with low-carbon timber, it will feature a large courtyard in the center to provide natural light, open green space, and better connectivity between floors.

The project, a collaboration between TVK International Bureau and Carmody Groarke Architecture Studio aims to increase the capacity and quality of storage facilities, widen public access to the collection, enhance environmental performance to decarbonize operations, and support institutional growth over the next three decades. Construction is scheduled to commence in spring 2026, with completion anticipated by 2029.

the new conservation center aims to set a new standard for library conservation and management