In *A Journey Through My Library*, Luca Merlini, an architect and professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, invites us on a poetic and personal exploration of his own library. This book is not merely a catalog of books, but a meditation on how books shape our lives, our thoughts, and even our spaces.

Through short, evocative stories, Merlini shares his encounters with authors, ideas, and emotions. He discusses classics of architecture and philosophy, as well as lesser-known works that have shaped his intellectual and professional journey.

💡 Why does this book resonate with us?

• A dialogue between architecture and literature: Merlini connects the physical space of books with the mental space they open up. His library becomes a model of his mind, a place where every book has its place and its story.
• It is also a reflection on transmission and intellectual heritage. How the books we read, give as gifts, or keep build bridges.
• Merlini encourages us to be curious and urges us to wander the aisles, letting chance guide our reading choices.

“A library is a living entity. It breathes, it grows, it evolves alongside us. It reflects our questions, our passions, but also our silences.”

Click HERE to learn more

And you, which book from your bookshelf deserves a "journey"?

The end of the year is approaching, and with it comes the summer loan period. What can I borrow? Books, magazines, and DVDs.

How many? The rule remains the same— 4 books + 2 magazines + 2 DVDs.

📅 Due by September 7, 2026 – plenty of time to make the most of your resources without rushing.

🕘 Please note: Starting June 15, the Documentary Center will switch to summer hours:

Monday: 2:00 PM–5:00 PM; Tuesday through Friday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM / 2:00 PM–5:00 PM

Arte.tv regularly posts new documentaries online. We’ve put together a selection of architecture-related titles for you.

Visual © All rights reserved

The pitch:

Maud Dugrand’s book by Maud Dugrand is a story that chronicles the democratic and participatory journey of a small village in the Drôme region. In 2014, a citizen-led slate was elected. During its term, residents were actively involved in municipal operations. The author, a journalist and native of the village, traces the journey of this collective from its inception to the end of its term in 2020.

Why this book? 

The novel format is ideal for a light read that nonetheless explores a pressing democratic issue. Regardless of our status, we are all affected by local politics. It is the kind of politics that most directly impacts our daily lives.

Doc's Review 

If you’re interested in collaborative urban planning or simply in stories of citizen resistance, this book is for you. And who knows? Maybe it will inspire you to launch a participatory project in your own city…

You can find this book in the reference section among our top picks!

Click HERE to learn more

The magazine *Habitante*, which has long sought to explore the diversity of ways of thinking and shaping the world, is ceasing publication after several years of service.

To mark this milestone, the publisher is offering an exceptional 60% discount on the remaining issues. This is a unique opportunity to acquire an archive rich in insights and inspiration, or to discover (or rediscover) this magazine at an unbeatable price.

Where can I find the issues?
Visit audimat-edition.fr to view the offer using the code ENSA and place your order before supplies run out.

From June 28, 2025, to January 5, 2026, the Rouen Museum of Fine Arts hosted a retrospective dedicated to Maxime Old, a leading figure in 20th-century interior architecture. To mark the occasion, the museum launched “The Maxime Old Laboratory, ” a unique initiative developed in collaboration with third-year students from theENSA Normandie, as part of the “Situation” workshop .

Under the guidance of three instructors— Dominique Lefrancois, Sophie Cambrillat, and Kacha Legrand —the students took on an exciting challenge: reimagining Maxime Old’s furniture. Their work resulted in original designs that blend historical accuracy with contemporary boldness.

Don’t miss it: these unique pieces are now on display at theENSA Normandie Documentary Center. It’s a wonderful opportunity to discover how interior architecture interacts with student creativity, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Maxime Old.

About the authors

Guy Bloch-Champfort, journalist, is a specialist in 20th-century decorative arts and the work of Joan Mitchell. He is the author of numerous books, including Décorateurs des années 60-70 (2015) and Designers et créateurs des années 80-90 (2022), published by Norma.

Sophie Cambrillat is an architect. She is a lecturer and researcher at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Normandie (Normandy National School of Architecture).

Tanit Quillé, daughter of Henri Quillé, is an architect and founder and president of the Association for the Preservation of the Work of Henri Quillé.

Bloch-Champfort, G., Cambrillat, S., & Quillé, T. (2025). Henri Quillé : Formentera. Norma Éditions.

Where can you find it?
Available at theENSA Normandie documentation center.

Want to share your favorites? Write to us at poledocumentaire@rouen.archi.fr

Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., at theENSA Normandie Documentary Center, the editorial committee of the journal transversale, histoire: architecture, paysage, urbain will present the ninth and latest issue, published in December 2025, on the theme of Journeys, Interweaving, Hybridization: A Global History of Architecture and Urbanism.

This issue is coordinated by Léonore Dubois-Losserand, researcher at EVCAU (ENSA Paris-Val-de-Seine), Marie Gaimard, researcher at ATE, and Gilles-Antoine Langlois, researcher at EVCAU (ENSA Paris-Val-de-Seine).

For the first time, the cross-disciplinaryreview isco-produced in partnership with ENSA Paris-Val-de-Seine,ENSA Normandie, the EVCAU laboratory, and the ATE laboratory.

More information about the journal HERE.

The event will be accompanied by a gourmet coffee break.

Come to the reading room at the Documentation Center!

visual: cover of issue no. 9 of the Transversale magazine , 2025 – © Fondation Le Corbusier

This book is an extension of the Materia architectures exhibition held at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal in 2025. It follows the same structure and is a continuation of the Fibra architectures (2019) and TerraFibra (2021) exhibitions and books dedicated to contemporary architecture using earth, stone, and plant fibers.

It follows the structure of the exhibition with three chapters dedicated to these three materials, each of which documents the 40 finalist projects for the Matera Award.

The projects are intended to be rooted in the local area and promote traditional craftsmanship and local industries, without neglecting new regulations on carbon footprints and material sobriety.

The book is intended as an educational manifesto to inspire, share, and convince architects, craftsmen, project owners, and students.

The exhibition is a co-production of the Pavillon de l'Arsenal, amàco, Les Grands Ateliers, and the Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France.