The public archive service of the department of Loiret in the region of Centre-Valle de Loire, France, is responsible for preserving, managing and making available to the public a wide range of historical and administrative documents dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. One of the most outstanding collections is that of documents related to Joan of Arc, given the importance of Orléans in the life of this historical figure. The archives contain records and chronicles documenting the events of the liberation of Orléans in 1429 during the Hundred Years War. The façade, made with STACBOND aluminum composite panels, seems to want to simulate a bookshelf, an effect that has been achieved with the “Golden pearl” and “Signal white” finishes.

Photography: Pauline Caradec