Describe both the modern and classical elements of Labrouste’s Bibliothèque Nationale. Use architectural vocabulary.
Classical elements present in the Bibliothèque Nationale include arcuation and barrel vaulting which also make a 3×3 grid of domes. Each dome also has an oculus which harkens back to the Pantheon. Another classical element present are coffers underneath the arch apertures. The columns of the library also tie together the aspects of classical and that of the industrial revolution with fluted shafts and ionic capitals, but made out of wrought iron, and considerably thinner than a stone column would be. More modern elements also include the open work of the barrel vault ribs.