After nearly twenty months of work, the Louis Nucéra Library reopened this Sunday morning during a highly anticipated inauguration. From the early hours, a dense crowd gathered in front of the new doors, on Traverse Barla, eager to discover this completely reimagined cultural space.
The ceremony begins with music: a marching band plays the French anthem, creating an atmosphere that is both solemn and popular. Phones are raised, followed by applause. Then the official speeches begin.
Alongside local officials stand Laurent Hottiaux, prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, and Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region. The city’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, emphasizes the symbolic significance of the venue: “There is a lot of emotion every time we unveil a place, especially one like this that truly embodies culture.”
After the unveiling of the inaugural plaque, soon echoed by an accordion playing the first notes of Nissa la Bella, the mayor symbolically receives the number 1 membership card at the entrance. In the wake, officials and residents together enter the large slope leading to the glass doors: the discovery can begin.
A library open to the city …
Located on the edge of the Promenade du Paillon, the Louis Nucéra Library now fully opens to the city thanks to a complete redesign of its accesses and interior spaces. The new entrance via Traverse Barla leads to brighter and better-structured floors, where work areas, relaxation corners, and youth spaces are clearly identified.
The facility has been modernized with enhanced multimedia centers, digital spaces, and areas dedicated to workshops and cultural practices. The offerings have also expanded, both in hours (with evening and Sunday afternoon openings) and in collections, now exceeding 90,000 documents: novels, comic books, manga, music, films, games, and digital resources. The establishment thus claims a new role: as a true cultural hub, accessible, versatile, and embedded in the daily lives of Nice residents, akin to the central circle swarmed as soon as it opened!
Just past the doors, the central circle of the Louis Nucéra Library has transformed into an essential point of convergence. Around the reception counters, several lines formed in a few minutes: new registrants, former subscribers renewing their cards, families with files in hand, all eager to formalize their entry into this new era of the library.
Many also take the opportunity to ask questions, seek information, and retrieve guides to better orient themselves and discover the new spaces under the best conditions. Despite the crowd, the atmosphere remains patient and enthusiastic, carried by the shared feeling of participating in a symbolic moment. Staff guide, explain, and reassure, while visitors already observe the rooms around them: more than a simple administrative step, this first registration becomes for many a true rite of entry into a place of discovery or rediscovery.
…and to its residents
Like Michel, first day, first card. Sitting calmly at the counter, Michel, 69, retired, is among the very first registrants. He insisted on coming on opening day to create his lending card. Without any specific reading idea, he will choose “according to the moment’s desire.” A lover of poetry, he spontaneously cites Prévert and Baudelaire. For him, this inaugural registration is mainly a way to make a mark and quickly embrace the new place. He highlights the simplicity of the procedures, carried out without difficulty.
He is assisted by Karine, 48, library agent, behind the counter, who acknowledges that this first day requires “a bit of patience” from everyone. The turnout is as expected. The teams were prepared for it, even though they need to get back into the groove after the long closure period: “We’re getting back into the swing of things, but everything is ready. We want visitors to leave satisfied.” From the first hours, staff guide, explain, reassure. Each registration, each question is handled with attention despite the intensity of the flow.
In the queue, Stéphan, 65, retired as well, waits with his papers already ready: ID card and documents. He wants to renew his registration without delay. Informed of the reopening by media and social networks, he wanted to be present on the first day. For him, the library remains “a place of culture and conviviality.” An avid reader, attached to Camus’ works, he is pleased that the establishment retains its historical name, which he sees as an important reference for residents. His approach is both practical and symbolic: to continue his reader journey without interruption.
It’s around a couple to “check out!” Giuseppe, 51, carpenter, and Vanessa, 48, social worker, came to register their granddaughter Alba, 4. The craftsman is not a visitor like the others: his company participated in the construction. Doors, layouts, furniture, part of the wood bears his signature. He advocates this material as “warmer and more welcoming” and sees the opening to the public as the tangible culmination of his work. Vanessa, meanwhile, begins the process for the child’s card, charmed by the richness of the activities offered: readings, games, animations. Both salute a vast, clear, well-structured library, attached to its original name: Louis Nucéra, a marker of local and, today, social memory.
