Project: The Pays d'Aix Theatre

The main feature of the new theatre is its location in the city. Both the relief of the land and the covered railway line that passes on one of its sides produce the differences in elevation which were considered design material in themselves. The result is a succession of circular-shaped volumes that straighten out on Avenue Mozart. The circular plaza onto which the theatre entrance opens is a veritable open air theatre. A pedestrian bastion marks the top part of the theatre, where the roof of the backstage tower becomes a large tree-covered patio with a café. This panoramic lookout over the surrounding city is like a small terraced hill covered in light-colored stone. A large hall can be found at the centre of the structure and can hold up to 1,300 people over its three sections of stalls and its galleries above. The stage can be adapted to meet the needs of various types of plays and musical performances. All the lighting fixtures were specifically designed for the project. In the entrance hall light accompanies people on their way in: here, elegant suspended glass tubes fitted with halogen bulbs are arranged in a curved pattern. The hall of the auditorium features a large central brass chandelier fitted with bright, naked light bulbs, while single or combined projector lamps, equipped with bright optics, light up the stalls.