Multi-Purpose Hall | Aurillac, France
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London architects Brisac Gonzalez have completed a multi-purpose hall at Aurillac in France.The space can be used for concerts, sports events, trade shows and theatrical productions.
Aurillac is at the edge of France’s Massif Central mountain region. The site is situated near the city’s main train station, an area that is under regeneration to provide a stronger link with the city’s historic centre.
The building is a new venue for theatre, concerts, fairs and sports events. It will contain retractable seating and demountable stage for versatility. The main space will be able to accommodate up to 4500 people during performances.
Three ribbons of concrete that vary in shape and texture define the building. Their juxtaposition delineates the different zones of the building: entry, storage and back of house facilities.
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In contrast to the complexity of the brief for its debut project, the architectural challenge presented by Le Prisme was extremely contained.
The building is essentially a scaled-down Zénith, the multi-purpose auditorium — such as Bernard Tschumi’s buildings in Limoges and Rouen, and Foster & Partners’ soon-to-be-completed project in Saint Etienne — that nearly every major French city can now claim.
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Le Prisme is designed to accommodate up to 4,500 people standing and 2,500 people sitting — about 60% of the capacity of the average Zénith. In pursuit of maximum flexibility, the 40m-wide by 60m-long, column-free space is essentially a generic black box environment.
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The geometry is unwaveringly orthogonal. Seating is retractable and the stage can be dismantled. Articulated lorries can drive into the hall to unload stage equipment or a trade fair’s partitions and displays.
The building is essentially a scaled-down Zénith, the multi-purpose auditorium — such as Bernard Tschumi’s buildings in Limoges and Rouen, and Foster & Partners’ soon-to-be-completed project in Saint Etienne — that nearly every major French city can now claim.
Le Prisme is designed to accommodate up to 4,500 people standing and 2,500 people sitting — about 60% of the capacity of the average Zénith. In pursuit of maximum flexibility, the 40m-wide by 60m-long, column-free space is essentially a generic black box environment.
The geometry is unwaveringly orthogonal. Seating is retractable and the stage can be dismantled. Articulated lorries can drive into the hall to unload stage equipment or a trade fair’s partitions and displays.
SITUATION PLAN
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