OPEN FIELDS

The Champs Libres have many assets and remain the cultural place not to be missed in Rennes. Located just a stone's throw from the train station, they are composed of several entities including a library, a museum, exhibition spaces, a conference room and permanent exhibitions. The complex was designed by Christian de Portzamparc, a Pritzker Prize winner, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for architects: a reference in the field. Two elements give it an original appearance: the planetarium dome, shaped like a cubist breast, and the library's inverted pyramid. You have to go up to the 6th floor of the building to get a panoramic view of the city. The complex, with a total surface area of 23,854^m2, is made up of three facilities that are popular with the people of Rennes: the library, the Museum of Brittany and the Science Space, which includes the 96-seat planetarium, Merlin's Laboratory (dedicated to children) as well as the Earth Room, which offers a permanent exhibition on biodiversity. Two other spaces depend directly on the Champs Libres: the Anita Conti room, which hosts temporary exhibitions, and the Hubert Curien room, located in the basement. With a capacity of 450 seats, it is used for conferences and concerts. The Champs Libres was conceived to be a place favoring diversity, meetings and cultural exchanges. It is today the biggest cultural complex of the city and the fourth tourist establishment of Ille-et-Vilaine to have obtained the label "Quality Tourism". It has a very rich and varied program involving high-level speakers on various themes. Since 2020, and in order to facilitate access to culture for all, the subscription to the library and the permanent exhibition on the theme of Brittany are free.