Gaîté-Lyrique – Digital Revolutions
Conversion and refurbishment of the old theatre 'la Gaîté Lyrique' in a center dedicated to numeric cultures and music in Paris – France.
Re-structuring an old theatre of the 19th century in the heart of Paris to turn it into an interactive platform for 21st century music and arts poses a number of difficult problems. To sum them up we have conceived of a place that could cater to all the artistic activities of today, a place open to public visits but that was also a working studio where artists could actually create, produce and present.
The design priorities are clear: create three main production facilities, three spaces for live shows. Around these three anchor points unfold a continuum of fluid and mobile ‘breathing’ spaces to serve alternately as work studios and presentation spaces: sets for the digital arts and modern music, for performers and for the public. They include media library, exhibition areas, foyers, café, rehearsal studios, etc...
Our objective was to create a ‘permissive’ place that includes whatever is random and unexpected, a place that defines itself without predefining everything, that enables encounters in fusion and breaks down barriers between the digital arts, the music of today and new modes of exchange between the public and artists.
To animate these fluctuations of programme and accompany the many changes in spatial layout, mobile ‘guide’ modules, called «Eclaireuses» are provided. Mounted on rollers, these
container-size units move from place to place, creating a changing scenography. There are today 70 “Eclaireuses” in the building.
Also assisting the public in its movements is a long dodecaedric furniture ‘ribbon’ that threads the entire layout: welcoming, accompanying, and providing rest.
Program:
Big room: 300 seating places / 750 standing places, adjustable stage: multiple heights, configuration and surfaces;
46 independent screens spread out over the 4 sides of the room for total immersion of the audience.
Small room: 100 places,
Auditorium: 130 places,
In the “echo chamber” take place a sensory rug which allows the visitor to set off sounds over 9 loudspeakers.
Studios: 1 rehearsal studio (or film studio), 1 recording studio and 3 multimedia studios are reserved for artists in residence and workshops.
Credits:
CLIENT
City of Paris
La Gaîté-Lyrique is a cultural establishment from the city of Paris
The Gaîté Lyrique makes the building’s working as part of a Civil Service Delegation holds by 3 shareholders: Naïve, le Troisième Pôle and Inéo.
The manager is Jérôme Delormas
FIRMS INVOLVED AT ARCHITECT’S SIDE
Patrimony architect : Régis Grima
Scenograph : Jean-Paul Chabert
Acoustic: Lamoureux
Building firm: Iosis
Multimedia - VDI: Labeyrie & Ass.
Fire security: Casso
Descriptive design: Nicolas Vrignault
Economist: LTA (design phase), Vanguard (works phase)
OTHER FIRMS :
numeric cultures and music consultant : Isabelle Chaigne et Mathieu Marguerin
programming consultant : Pro-Développement
SCMC : Cicad
Technical checking : Véritas
FIRMS :
General contractor: Eiffage Construction
Historic monument Restoration: ateliers Meriguet-Carrere
Stage equipment: AMG-Fechoz
Audiovisual and multimedia equipment: IEC
Specific furnitures: Cassina
Furnitures : Silvéra
Descriptive design : Boscher
