La Luciole was founded in 1994 and acquired a reputation for attracting renowned musicians to its tiny performance hall. A competition was held for the extension of the concert hall that would maintain the sense of intimacy defined in the original space, the winner of which being Moussafir Architectes for their design proposal, which was constructed in 2008. Located in Alençon, France the new La Luciole Concert Hall was designed with the desire to bring people as close to the stage as possible with the end result consisting of two cylindrical steel frames and a concrete enclosure for the stage, with smaller concrete boxes used for entrances and exits.
Courtesy of Moussafir Architectes
Though the original form of the concert hall has changed from rectangular to cylindrical, the core idea has remained intact- to have two tilted, interconnected volumes containing the audience and the stage. An arch can be seen emerging where the two cylinders intersect, marking the border between the stage and the audience.
Courtesy of Moussafir Architectes
Although the structure is a relatively simple steel frame, development of the structure was aimed to minimize the use of materials without compromising stability and retaining the desired form. The façade is cladded with corrugated steel siding in various white and blue coloring to represent a pixilated sky.
Curved insulation panels are mounted on the interior along with suspended acoustic sheets. Despite being a small intimate concert hall with enough seats for 650 people, the building’s bold geometry and exuberant color scheme make it an inviting place that will surely live up to the original La Luciole’s legacy.
