On July 14, 1988, the French President François Mitterrand announced "the construction and the expansion of one of the largest and most modern libraries in the world".
In July 1989, the services of the architectural firm of French architect Dominique Perrault were retained, and finally the National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, BnF) was inaugurated on December 15, 1996.
The same year, the design was recognized with the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
The Library is the seed of a new Parisian quartier and acts as a foundation stone right in the heart of the district.
The following pictures where taken in November 2005.
