New theatre dedicated to Mediterranean and Catalan arts with variable architecture and variable seat count – 600 to 1200 seats – as well as a 400-seat Black Box.

The large hall of the Theatre de l'Archipel – called Le Grenat –
has a variable seat-count ranging from 600 to 1200 seats.
© KA
The textured walls of Le Grenat theatre act as acoustic diffusers and provide uniformly distributed lateral reflections.
© KA
This Venetian blind consisting of wavy wooden boards is a mobile acoustic partition allowing to vary the capacity of the room and its acoustics.
© Philippe Ruault
Detail of the Venetian blind.
© Philippe Ruault
The 400-seat Black Box is equipped with retractable tiers and offers a large range of possible stage configurations.
© Philippe Ruault
General view of the Théâtre de l'Archipel.
From left to right: Le Grenat theater, the stage tower,
the rehearsal room, the changing rooms and administration
offices' building, the scenery studio.
The Black Box theatre is located behind.
© AJN
The concrete stage tower has been inspired by the architecture of the dungeons and castles in the Perpignan region.
© KA
Information Sheet

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Location   Perpignan, France.

Project Cost   32 million €.

Time Frame   Winning competition entry in 2005, design 2006-2008, opening October 2011.

Owner   Mairie de Perpignan.

Architect(s)   Jean Nouvel, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Paris, et Brigitte Métra, Métra & Associés, Paris.

Theatre Planner(s)   Michel Cova, Ducks Scéno, France.

Seat Count   Main theatre with varying seat count from 600 to 1100, 400-seat Black Box theatre, rehearsal rooms, workshop and administration. Total area 8 200 m².

Uses   National theatre center dedicated to Mediterranean and Catalan theatre.

Services   Comprehensive acoustics consulting, from basic design through construction supervision and opening services.

Team   Eckhard Kahle, Yann Jurkiewicz, Kahle Acoustics.