Médiathèque José Cabanis is a media library and municipal library in Toulouse. It occupies part of the Arche Marengo building in the Marengo quarter, on the former site of the old Toulouse veterinary school, which was demolished in 1965. The library has been open since 2004, following construction carried out in 2002 and 2003.
The Arche Marengo building was designed by Jean-Pierre Buffi's architecture firm together with the Toulouse firms Séquences and Architectes Associés. The architectural project conceived the building as an arch along avenue Georges Pompidou, formed by two volumes treated as the columns of an asymmetrical arch. The wider volume on the right contains the media library, while the left volume includes commercial and tertiary premises, including TLT studios and ENSA. A belvedere connects the two volumes above ground and offers a panorama of the city. The project also linked the blocks underground to the transit platform, including train, bus, and metro stations.
Nearby Objects
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Terre-Cabade Cemetery 500 m away -
Église Saint-Aubin 750 m away -
Place Jeanne d'Arc 800 m away -
Wilson Square 850 m away -
Utopia Toulouse 1000 m away
Location and Construction
The Mediatheque Jose Cabanis is located in Toulouse, where it occupies part of the Arche Marengo building in the Marengo quarter. The building stands on the former site of the old Toulouse veterinary school, which was demolished in 1965. Arche Marengo was designed by Jean-Pierre Buffi's architecture firm together with the Toulouse firms Sequences and Architectes Associes. Construction of the mediatheque took place during 2002 and 2003, and it has been open since 2004.
Architecture of the Arch-Shaped Media Library
The architectural project for the Mediathèque Jose Cabanis was designed as a building shaped like an arch along avenue Georges Pompidou. It is composed of two volumes, treated as columns of an asymmetrical arch. The wider volume on the right houses the media library, while the left volume contains commercial and tertiary premises, including TLT studios and ENSA. Above ground, the two blocks are connected by a belvedere that offers a city panorama and is aligned with Place Wilson and avenue Jean-Jaures.
The project also links each block underground to a transit platform serving train, bus, and metro stations. The arch entrance is blocked by a sloping garden leading down to the metro level, which also provides light to the children's library. A footbridge maintains street continuity and allows access to the building entrances under the arch. The front and rear facades are covered with glass and terracotta sunshade strips. Terracotta panels were used for thermal regulation and to create a facade rhythm that matches the city's red brick roofs.
Inside, the building includes a light well extending across four floors and the basement. A large spiral staircase connects the floors and emphasizes verticality, while each floor has its own specific theme.
Urban Renewal and the Marengo Hub
The Mediatheque Jose Cabanis is part of an urban project intended to symbolize the renewal of the neighborhood. The project includes the rehabilitation of the train station district, an area that is traditionally poor in many French cities, and it aims to make Marengo the new urban hub of the city. It also forms part of a broader set of transformations that includes the first metro line in the city, the arrival of the TGV, and the buildings of the Marengo block.
The site is located within a roundabout separating Jean Jaures alleys from Georges Pompidou avenue, placing it at an intersection between suburbs and downtown, metro and train, canal and buses. This position gives the project a connective role in the urban fabric. The site is accessible by metro at Marengo - SNCF station.
The project also includes housing behind each pillar of the arch, with commercial premises on the ground floor to revitalize the street and connect both sides. The buildings have eight floors, in line with the city authorities' densification objectives, and the project addresses problems related to the spread of suburban single-family homes.
Cultural Role and Urban Context
The Mediatheque Jose Cabanis is a municipal library with a regional vocation, funded by the French State in twelve major cities. It was built by the Toulouse city hall to meet growing cultural and sports needs in a sector that previously had no cultural centers, libraries, or MJC. In this context, the project helped fill the cultural void felt by local residents. It also forms part of a wider urban and cultural environment alongside the renovation of the Stadium, the Zenith de Toulouse, the Salon des expositions, the Theatre national de Toulouse, and Cite de l'espace. The project and related efforts were also intended to support Toulouse's bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2013. The building is fully accessible to people with disabilities and includes adapted equipment designed with a maximum range of pathologies in mind.