The building is located in the city center, in the newly renovated area around the TGV train station, opened in 2005. La Grande Passerelle, which means "large pedestrian bridge", faces from the station to the walled Old Town. Regular buildings with apartments and a hotel are located around, and the cultural center is intended to bring energy to the new development.
The undulating outlines simultaneously symbolize flows of information (inside there is a media library, an arthouse cinema and a multifunctional space "4th place"), and the history of the city on the shores of the English Channel closely related to navigation: for example, Jacques Cartier was born in Saint-Malo. XVI century first explored the northern part of the Atlantic coast of North America.
The town-planning role of the building is no less important: surrounded by two esplanades, it can be considered the third; public spaces are complemented by an open amphitheater on the south side of the building. On the facades, media screens have been reinforced, which help the already "open" architecture to bring the film screenings, exhibitions, meetings of the "literary cafe" taking place inside the city space.
The glazing, which provides natural light to the foyer and reading room of the library, is protected from the heat of the sun by movable blinds and a 640 solar panel strip that shades the glass section of the roof. The look of the interiors is defined by wood and polished concrete surfaces.
Most of the roof is landscaped and helps collect rainwater; heating is provided by geothermal pumps, the electricity for which is supplied by the aforementioned solar panels. There are also two gas condensing boilers.
