Presqu’île Malraux

The Austerlitz basin: the origin of the modern port of Strasbourg

It was in 1892 that the first steamboat sailed into the Austerlitz basin and the port of Strasbourg entered into the modern era. A large industrial zone grew up a short distance away from the center of the city, and was soon filled with warehouses and silos, interspersed with giant derricks. The complex was locally called the "Seegmuller mole" after the eponymous company which owned the buildings up to the early 2000s.

When industry moved out, the site fell into disuse for a number of years, but its excellent location meant it was soon earmarked for development.

The André Malraux media library and the rehabilitation of the Seegmuller mole

The André Malraux library was completed in 2008 within the shell of one of the old warehouses standing on the site. The library was designed by architects Jean-Marc Ibos and Myrto Vitart, who set out to keep the general appearance of the redbrick building, which dated back to the 1930s, while adding a glass and metal facade. Two large derricks standing outside the building serve as a reminder of its previous role.

Inside, the media library is built over six floors, with a surface area of 11,800 m² and 20 km of shelving which are used to stock over 160,000 documents.