BnF Richelieu: architectural photography during Museum Night 2026
During Museum Night 2026, BnF Richelieu offered an ideal setting for architectural photography. Between the green globes of the reading lamps, the historic volumes of the library and the contemporary curves of the aluminium staircase, the site revealed a subtle dialogue between heritage, light and modern lines.
A historic site in the heart of Paris
As the historic site of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Richelieu preserves an essential part of written, printed and visual memory. People come here to consult, study and visit, but also to discover an exceptional architectural heritage, now widely open to the public.
The green lamps of the reading room
I was fascinated by the green globes in opaline glass on the reading tables, and by the way they rhythm the space. Their translucency diffuses the light in a subtle, almost irregular way. Their green colour contrasts with the yellow light projected onto the tables, the bluish daylight filtering through the windows, and the walls left in shadow.
The aluminium staircase: a contemporary curve in a classical setting
The renovation of the Richelieu site also introduced a very contemporary element: a staircase in steel and varnished aluminium, with fluid curves. For a photographer, this staircase immediately becomes a subject. Its soft lines stand in contrast to the arches, columns and classical volumes of the building.
From Richelieu to François-Mitterrand: two faces of the BnF
This series naturally echoes my photographic work on the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand. At Richelieu, the eye is drawn to the dialogue between history and renovation. At François-Mitterrand, it focuses more on monumental lines, transparency and contemporary architecture.
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About the author
Sebastien Desnoulez is a photographer, author and image maker based in Paris. His work spans architectural photography, landscape photography and travel photography, with particular attention to composition, lines, light, blur and visual accidents. Trained in photography in the mid-1980s, he covered Formula 1 and reported from around the world before developing a fine art photography practice built around the tension between graphic rigour and visual instability. He also shares his technical experience through practical articles for passionate photographers, drawing on a strong visual culture acquired in both film and digital photography.
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