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A Building revisited, An architectural project to make the Théâtre de Gennevilliers an open, lively space, by Patrick Bouchain and Nicole Concordet. Pascal Rambert wanted to make the Théâtre de Gennevilliers a more friendly place, open to all as a public forum. He assigned the task of re-imagining this public space to the scenographic architect Patrick Bouchain. Bouchain had a singular objective, to ‘let architecture take a back seat to mobility and man’s inherent warmth’. Taking apart the idea of public architecture, Bouchain focussed on the way that the fluid shape of the exterior could flow naturally into the building’s interior. He redesigned the entrance to the theatre, blurring the boundaries between the building and the pavement.
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Patrick Bouchain's objective‘It’s the best space to work in the whole of the Paris area. It’s unpretentious. On first impression, you might think it was a fire station, a town hall, or a school - but not a theatre. We needed to make it more lively. We decided to reduce the interior of the much-loved curb of the 1930s façade to a basic frame in the shape of a cross, so that a new sense of liveliness could flourish in the space. It would be like a stage, made entirely from wood, with tubes of scaffolding arranged around it, in memory of the original architect. At the side of this space, we wanted to build a big door in line with the staircase leading up to the foyer, making it seem smaller and more accessible than before. Architecture is pure form. Ideally, the specifications for a building should come from those who use it. In our society, however, levels of authority are so complex that whoever issues these specifications is very rarely the one who uses the building. I have never built anything for a person I don’t know. If the user is not the one in charge, then he should at least be consulted. I am, therefore, an interpreter of architecture- I listen to what the user wants, and try and explain this to the builders. I give over a sense of what is wanted, I suggest directions, a bit like a choreographer does with actors. The Public often wants something different from their politicians, and dialogue is essential to maintaining the common good. Public power represents the collective will of society, but this does not mean that it needs to be anonymous, cold and abstract. Its role is to question the decisions of its chosen leaders. Today, though, public power bears our collective responsibility, but cannot find a suitably responsible person to represent it. I suggest that our government should become more politically responsible, and leave the technical side to us.’ Patrick Bouchain, architect. Stages and spacesThe StagesThe Théâtre de Gennevilliers has two stages, which give a performance depth of 38 metres. Stage 1 is one of the highest in France at 22m40. Rehearsal theatres The Gallery The “lieu de vie” and Food’Art restaurant The salon |
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