La Comédie-Française, Paris

A functional space with optimal acoustic and unique design

Paris is the home of France’s national theatre company. Its crown jewel is the Salle Richelieu, an Italianate auditorium that is considered one of the finest in the world. The Salle Richelieu reopened in January 2013 after 12 months of renovation. One very important part of this project, hidden from the public, was the modernization and renovation of the Dôme, which sits above the Salle Richelieu and houses the HVAC units. By reorganizing the HVAC systems, the architects proposed turning the Dôme into useful space which would be a windfall for the theatre company in a city like Paris where square metres are precious. The renovation of the Dôme freed up 250 m2 / 820 ft2 of floor space. “By reducing the space allocated to technical equipment, we reclaimed half the volume of the Dôme and highlighted the wrought iron structure created by Julien Gadet in 1900,” explains Stéphane  Delaby, Architect, B&A Studio of Architecture. “To allow the Comédie-Française best use of their new space, both technically and acoustically, Mono Acoustic TE was installed throughout the curved Dôme between the metal structure, preserving it entirely. The Dôme is now a splendid and functional space, completely insulated acoustically from the theatre below.”