Bernard
Tschumi building
Concert Hall in Limoges, France
2007
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Christian Richters from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Concert Hall for 6,000 by Bernard Tschumi Architects
Opens in Limoges on March 8, 2007
LIMOGES, FRANCE, March 7, 2007 – Designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects,
the Zénith Concert Hall in Limoges will open on Thursday, March
8, 2007 for its official inauguration, followed by a celebratory concert
on Saturday, March 17, 2007 with a performance by French pop star Michel
Polnareff.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Peter Mauss/ESTO from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
The structure is designed to accommodate 6,000 spectators comfortably
with configurations for as few as 600 or as many 8,000. Instead of a proscenium,
Bernard Tschumi conceived of a stage free of all structural members, with
a performance space approximately 260 feet wide by 130 feet deep. Lighting
is provided through five balloons which also act as signage for the site.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Peter Mauss/ESTO from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Tschumi’s design for the project incorporates two distinct acoustical
envelopes: an outer polycarbonate skin that filters light and defines
the circulation spaces and an inner wooden envelope that provides an intimate
setting for concerts and events. This concept responds to the dramatic
site, a clearing in a large forest at the edge of the city, surrounded
by trees more than 200 years old.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Christian Richters from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Tschumi developed the design with sustainable materials and energy conservation
in mind, taking advantage of the local timber industry and using renewable
materials for the acoustical envelope of the concert space. Additionally,
the outer skin composed of polycarbonate and a wooden frame allows for
natural light and ventilation. Seven acres of parking for 1,500 cars is
entirely covered with grass and trees, thanks to a technique developed
by the landscape architect Michel Desvigne.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Peter Mauss/ESTO from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Zénith concert halls have been a major feature of French cultural
life over the last twenty-five years, and these state-sponsored venues
for rock concerts, political gatherings, and other cultural events have
seen the work of major architects including Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas,
Massimiliano Fuksas, and Tschumi, whose previous award-winning Zénith
in the city of Rouen employed a similar double-envelope with completely
different materials for an urban site.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Christian Richters from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
The project team for the Zénith Concert Hall in Limoges has been
led by Bernard Tschumi and BTuA partner Veronique Descharrières.
The design and construction team also includes the local architectural
office Atelier 4, Scène for the stage design, Technip TPS for engineering,
and CIAL for acoustics.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Peter Mauss/ESTO from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Bernard Tschumi Architects, based in New York and Paris, is currently
completing the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, the BLUE residential tower
in New York City, the ECAL art school and a railway station in Lausanne,
Switzerland. Projects under study include: a museum in Alesia, France,
a cultural center in Bordeaux-Cenon, a cultural center and department
store in The Hague, and the Diaoyutai Ouest Hotel in
Beijing. The firm just completed the master plan for the Independent Financial
Centre of the Americas in the Dominican Republic and is currently designing
the first phase. Recently built projects include the Athletic Center for
the University of Cincinnati; the factory and headquarters for Vacheron
Constantin in Geneva, Switzerland; and the School of Architecture at Florida
International University in Miami, Florida. Bernard Tschumi Architects
opened in 1983 with the competition winning project for the Parc de la
Villette in Paris, a 125-acre cultural park with 25 folies, pedestrian
bridges, promenades, and outdoor facilities.
Limoges Concert Hall photo by Christian Richters from
Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Key Bernard Tschumi project:
Parc de la Villette / Villette Park
Porte de la Villette, avenue Jean-Jaurès, Paris IXXe, France
1993
An architecture competition was held in 1992 for a park on the site of
national meat market & slaughterhouse.
Limoges Concert
Hall, France : Bernard Tschumi Architects
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- adrian welch / isabelle lomholt