Le 106 in Rouen: a contemporary music venue by King Kong
Delivered last November, having been awarded in June 2006, the contemporary music venue (Salle de Musiques Actuelles) in Rouen offers an alternative to the city's existing Zénith and will act as a link to the new eco-district around the pont Flaubert to the south. Designed by the Bordeaux-based practice King Kong, the building retains the memory of the former port warehouse through the treatment of its façades. This spirit is reinforced by the preservation of the two cranes commissioned in 1959.
See also:
- Le 105 in Rouen by Marc Mimram
- Pôle culturel de Venelles by King Kong
- L'étoile de Mouvaux by King Kong
Located on the left bank of the Seine, the venue marks the renewal of this district and provides the transition to the right bank. The facility has a main hall seating 1,148 and a secondary hall seating 318.
It is also equipped with a radio studio, five rehearsal studios, a demo-recording studio, a digital image creation studio and a café. The project aims to foster emerging artists and build a loyal audience for the venue; thanks to its many studios, Le 106 can also support artists in their work.
The architects wanted to leave a trace of the past on each façade. This is expressed in the choice of materials and in how they are positioned within the project. The bar and the north entrance, shown in the photograph above, benefit from a lit volume with a view over the quayside.
The entrances sit within glazed "boxes", installed in place of the existing openings. The external ticket office is tucked beneath the existing canopy, facing the car park and the forecourt.
An extension was built onto the west gable end to house the technical and logistics area.
The steel structure, clad in perforated metal, blends with the existing building by following the same constructive logic. The gable end opens onto a sheltered courtyard where deliveries are received.
On the side façades, two symmetrical bands let daylight into the offices; the position of the second band is taken from the first, which belongs to the existing structure.
At night, the existing glazed roof becomes an urban "lantern" thanks to the lighting installed inside. The Corten steel façade on the east side bears the venue's logo.
Gallery
24 images
- © Photo Arthur Péquin
- © King Kong