Page 121 - AIT0518_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design dominique coulon, FR-Straßburg
Grundriss Erdgeschoss • Ground floor plan
Grundriss 1. Obergeschoss • Floor plan first floor
Schnitt • Section
Bauherr • Client Verband, FR-Freimingen
Standort • Location Place des Alliés, FR-Freimingen
Nutzfläche • Floor space 2850 m 2
Fotos • Photos Pons (1/3/4/5); Romero-Uzeda (2)
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More infos on page 154
THÉODORE GOUVY
THEATRE IN FREIMINGEN
The new Théodore Gouvy Theatre on Place des Alliés
gives Freimingen-Merlenbach a colourful impulse. The
building, designed by architectural practice dominique
coulon & associés, is considered a contemporary mee-
ting place and a symbol of renewal within the French
community, not only because of its prominent location,
but also because of its wide range of cultural offerings.
T he architects dominique coulon & associés – located in
Straßbourg – have created an inviting spectacle with the new
Théodore Gouvy Theatre in the French community of Freimingen-
Merlenbach. Culture as an opportunity for encounters and communi-
cation has been of great importance in the mining region since the clo-
sure of the mines and the associated increase in unemployment. As
the old theatre had to be replaced due to its insufficient capacity and
structural damage, the new building at its prominent location on Place
des Alliés aims to create a contemporary connection between existing
building and social structures, not only symbolically. The incorpora-
tion of individual lines and alignments gives the building an unusual
shape that connects the shopping centre, the town hall and residential
areas in a non-directional manner. Because of the white building enve-
lope, the building blends into the urban context, while large windows
on the individual levels invite visitors to explore the interior in greater
detail. As the foyer extends as a vertical space over all three floors and
plays with offsets, the building can be entered on two levels. The air
space is traversed by an interwoven structure of stairs and circulation
routes that expand and narrow in complex geometry. The combination
of even, light, untreated plaster, beige carpeting and the play with the
incidence of natural light creates the impression of a cocoon-like inte-
rior that appears both discreet and impressive. The auditorium itself
literally causes a theatrical break to the rest of the impression.
Spectacular colours such as red, pink and orange give the room a den-
sity that additionally stages the geometric structures. It provides room
for 700 seats on three levels and is characterised by a maximum view-
ing distance of 20 metres to the almost 300-square metre stage.
Proximity and distance thus merge dynamically. This dynamic is
reflected in the entire composition of the theatre building, which opens
up room for different performances and a wide audience. Dominique
Coulon and his team created with the Théodore Gouvy Theatre another
colourful and very expressiv landmark, how they did it often before.
AIT 5.2018 • 121