This might seem like an odd idea but the Alcazar library is honestly an interesting thing to visit in Marseille for those seeking to understand the life of the city.

An old music hall and theatre, which welcomed Jacques Brel, Charlie Chaplin and Georges Brassens before closing, the Alcazar has only been open to the public as a library since 2004. It is part of a scheme to invest in the Belsunce area of the city which, like most of the centre of Marseille, has an overwhelmingly working class and immigrant population.

It is a vast, modern and beautiful building, clean and filled with light and people during its typically Mediterranean 11am until 7pm opening hours.

The contrast is incredible between the cool, tranquil space of the library and the noisy, dirty and sunbaked road outside, where a tram line is currently being built and hundreds of people go in and out of shops and cafes selling Muslim wedding clothes, north African pastries, mint tea, halal meat, and CDs and videos of Moroccan pop stars.

There are constantly changing exhibitions, a press area and frequent film screenings.

Bibliothèque l'Alcazar
58 Cours Belsunce
13001 Marseille
www.bmvr.marseille.fr
Map: tinyurl.com/2rwy9j

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