moussafir architectes: la luciole concert hall, france

 

 moussafir architectes: la luciole concert hall, france

Apr 25, 2013

first image
'la luciole concert hall' by moussafir architectes, alençon, france

image © luc boegly

 

 

 

built by the west entrance to the city, 'la luciole concert hall' by moussafir architectes appears to be an urban beacon, set to counterpoint to
the linear façade of the adjacent exhibition center. exterior finishing abstractly weave the building to its natural surroundings, most pointedly,
the ever changing blue skies that stretch over the nearby ocean. the initial project proposed cladding the façades in a combination of matte and
polished stainless steel that would reflect the fleeting clouds, but the latest design iteration favored corrugated steel siding. an abstractly composed
arrangement of white and blue panels suggests a pixelated fragment of the sky. with darker shades concentrated where the two cylinders meet,
the overall effect evokes a geyser linking the earth and the sky.

 

 

 

the drum-like structures in context

 

 

membrane stretched over the circular roof of the auditorium may act as a projection screen

image © luc boegly

 

 

the building also displays a healthy contrast with its surroundings

image © luc boegly

 

 

exterior finishing reinterprets the normandian sky

image © luc boegly

 

 

situated on the edge of alençon, in the rural landscape of lower normandy, the venue resulted from the efforts of a passionate man who has and
continues to serve as its director for almost two decades. founded in 1994, this concert facility has carved itself a reputation, attracting renowned
musicians to its tiny performance hall. several years ago, the municipality agreed to finance the extension of la luciole. the competition brief
required a larger concert hall that would maintain the sense of intimacy and the enveloping quality that defined the original space. the desire to
bring people as close to the stage as possible has literally shaped the restructured venue, wherein artists are almost surrounded by their audience.
structurally, the project consists of two cylindrical steel frames and a concrete enclosure for the stage (smaller concrete boxes are also used for
entrances and exits.) an arch emerging where the two cylinders intersect marks the border between the stage and the audience. simple in itself,
the steel structure required some serious development work as the architects aimed to minimize the use of materials without compromising stability.
the evolution of the forms shifted from rectangular to cylindrical, yet the core idea – two tilted, interconnected volumes containing the audience and
the stage – remained intact. of the work, architect jacques moussafir says:

 

'it's somewhat bizarre, and eccentric, and very different from everything else designed by our office.'

 

 the quickness of the proposal's conception is reflected in the building's bold geometry and exuberant color scheme--
an architectural translation of the flamboyant personality of the man who created la luciole.

 

 

 

lobby and box office

image © luc boegly

 

 

stage view shows curved, multilayer insulation panels, as well as suspending acoustical panels from a rounded surface

image © luc boegly

 

 

the new, 650-strong auditorium almost encircles the stage

image © luc boegly

 

 

site plan

 

facade tectonic diagram

 

sections

 

plans show that the artist’s room and offices are mainly placed around and above the stage

 

 

project info:

 

 

client: alençon city council

location: alençon, france

brief: extension: reception area, 650 seat auditorium, offices, service spaces.
renovation: bar, rehearsal studio, dressing rooms.

budget: 2,653,000 €. ex tax
n
sa: 1,274
sq m
built: 2008
architect: moussafir architectes (jacques moussafir with francesca de marchi, nicolas hugoo, alexis duquennoy, guillaume cournut,
laurent théaux and albert ruiz)
partner engineers: a&t (stage designers), peutz (acoustic designers), batiserf (structural engineers), alto (mechanical engineers),
rené micout (quantity surveyor).
contractors: sagir (concrete structure), renaudat (metal frameworks), arblade (roofing & siding), vonthron (electricity),
gondouin (waterproofing), ates (partitions and lining), daupley (exterior woodwork), r2c (metalwork), polybat (paintwork),
amg fechoz (stage machinery), bezannier (wooden stage flooring), ducré (hvac & plumbing), fabripose (interior woodwork),
qualiprofil (suspended ceilings), assisesportive (seating), audiotechniques (stage electrics), azur scénic (stage fabrics),
thyssen (elevator), gagneux décors (flooring).

materials: colourwashed raw concrete; steel structure; veined steel siding by haironville; multilayered plasterboard lining;
polycarbonate panels by danpalon everlite; fibracoustic panels in wood fibre and rockwool; aluminium door and window frames (exterior);
exposed concrete floor with toughening finish; wooden floor on bearing joist.

Anna Yudina

04.25.13