Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13743)           
UK only International

Shigeru Ban's La Seine Musicale opens in Paris

By Kim Megson    18 May 2017
The dome is distinguished by a 45m (147.6ft) high solar sail, covered in 470 photovoltaic panels / Shutterstock
Inside we have adopted a more angular geometry than the egg-shaped exterior in order to answer the acoustic questions we faced
– Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban’s €170m (US$189.4m, £145.2m) concert venue for Paris has opened on an island in the Seine.

Designed with French architect Jean de Gastines on the site that once belonged to France’s biggest factory, La Seine Musicale has been conceived as a both new cultural symbol for the French capital and a music venue that will host all types of performance, from classical to contemporary.

The island of L'île Seguin was once an industrial heartland; home to a Renault car manufacturing plant that employed 30,000 workers before closing in the 1990s. French architect Jean Nouvel has been tasked with reimagining the island as a cultural destination, complete with promenades and gardens, and Ban and de Gastines won the commission to design the La Seine Musicale concert hall – which takes up a third of the island.

The completed 36,500sq m (393,000sq ft) building features a large egg-shaped glass volume sat atop a concrete ship-like structure, seemingly anchored in the river.

The dome is distinguished by a 45m (147.6ft) high solar sail, covered in 470 photovoltaic panels, which is mounted on rails that follow the course of the sun, from east to west, throughout the day – shading the building and creating a changing display of shadows.

La Seine Musicale is home to both a 6,000-capacity great hall for rock and pop concerts and a 1,150-seat classical music auditorium, formed of light oak, birch and cedar.

Speaking about the latter, Ban said: “Inside we have adopted a more angular geometry than the egg-shaped exterior in order to answer the acoustic questions we faced.

“We’ve developed a ceiling made of an assembly of tubes of small sections of wood, cardboard and paper, and weaved wooden slats cover the walls. These materials were used because we were looking for a warm atmosphere.

“The suspended ceiling will generate a set of shadows in the room in response to the lighting – so before each concert spectators can appreciate the room during the moments of waiting for the music to begin.”

The public can access the building through a monumental 10.5m (34.4ft) high hydraulic glass door weighing 5 tons. This leads to an interior boulevard lined with shops and lesiure amenities such as a jazz club. Visitors can also catch a glimpse into the venue’s five recording studios and practice rooms.

Outside there is a 1,800sq m (19,300sq ft) LED screen showing events for people without tickets .There is also a 7,410sq m (80,000sq ft) garden, extending across the roof, that has pedestrian paths through the flora and fauna – including 13 different species of tree.

La Seine Musicale, which was funded by the local government and private donors, is scheduled to host 300 events per year.

Designed with French architect Jean de Gastines on a site that once belonged to France’s biggest factory, La Seine Musicale has been conceived as a new cultural symbol for Paris / Shutterstock
Shigeru Ba  La Seine Musicale  Paris  France  architecture  design  Jean de Gastines  Jean Nouvel 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news
Related features
Sports jobs

Leisure Centre Duty Manager

Uppingham School
Salary: £24,687.57pa + pension + health care + benefits
Location: Uppingham, Oakham, UK

Leisure Supervisor (Development)

City University of London
Salary: £32,982 - £37,099pa + excellent pension and benefits
Location: London, UK

Recreation Assistant (Dry Site)

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Market Rasen

Party Leader

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Gainsborough

Cleaning Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive pay rates
Location: Gainsborough

Duty Manager

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Gainsborough

Duty Manager

The Pickaquoy Centre
Salary: £30,000pa + local Govt pension + attractive benefits package
Location: Kirkwall, UK

Team Leader (Harrow School Fitness Club)

Harrow School
Salary: £13.71 per hour
Location: Harrow on the Hill, Harrow, UK

Centre Manager (Leisure)

Exeter City Council
Salary: £40,221 - £42,403pa + pension + benefits
Location: Exeter, UK
recruiting with sports management

Director of Operations

Active Luton
Salary: £61,000 - £64,000 + exceptional pension + excellent benefits
Location: Luton, UK

Fitness Motivator

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Lutterworth

Recreation Assistant/Lifeguard (NPLQ required)

Everyone Active
Salary: 9.50 ph
Location: Lutterworth

Membership Manager

University of Warwick
Salary: £29,605 - £32,982pa + pension + benefits
Location: Coventry, UK

Recreation Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive salary
Location: Wigston

Swim Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Shipston-on-Stour

Swim Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Shipston-on-Stour
recruiting with sports management

Chief Executive Officer, Mount Batten Centre

Mount Batten Group
Salary: c£65,000pa + pension + benefits
Location: Plymouth, UK

Swimming Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive rates of pay
Location: Rickmansworth, UK

Swimming Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive rates of pay
Location: Watford, UK
Swimming Teacher jobs  duty manager jobs  Team Leader jobs  recreation assistant jobs  Swim Manager jobs  general manager jobs 
More jobs

Company profile

Company profile: Alliance Leisure
The company’s core business is the provision of facility development and support for local authorities, educational establishments and leisure trusts that want to improve or expand the leisure products and services they offer.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Webinar: Building a new energy future for the leisure sector
As one of the most energy-intensive industries in the UK, leisure facilities face a critical challenge in balancing net zero goals, funding and increased costs.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
30 May - 02 Jun 2024
Rimini Exhibition Center, Rimini, Italy
08-08 Jun 2024
Worldwide, Various
More diary dates