Limoges Concert Hall Building

Design: Bernard Tschumi Architectes

Concert Hall in Limoges, France
Date built: 2007
Address: Zenith de Limoges, 16 Avenue Jean Monnet, 87100 Limoges, France
Phone: +33 5 55 69 55 55

Limoges Concert Hall photo by Christian Richters from Bernard Tschumi Architects

Concert Hall for 6,000 by Bernard Tschumi Architects

Opened in Limoges on Mar 8, 2007
LIMOGES, FRANCE, March 7, 2007 Designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects, the Znith Concert Hall
in Limoges will open on Thursday, March 8, 2007 for its official inauguration, followed by a celebratory
concert on Saturday, March 17, 2007 with a performance by French pop star Michel Polnareff.
The structure is designed to accommodate 6,000 spectators comfortably with configurations for as few as
600 or as many 8,000. Instead of a proscenium, Bernard Tschumi conceived of a stage free of all
structural members, with a performance space approximately 260 feet wide by 130 feet deep. Lighting is
provided through five balloons which also act as signage for the site.

Limoges Concert Hall photo by Peter Mauss/ESTO from Bernard Tschumi Architects

Tschumis design for the project incorporates two distinct acoustical envelopes: an outer polycarbonate
skin that filters light and defines the circulation spaces and an inner wooden envelope that provides an

intimate setting for concerts and events. This concept responds to the dramatic site, a clearing in a large
forest at the edge of the city, surrounded by trees more than 200 years old.
Tschumi developed the design with sustainable materials and energy conservation in mind, taking
advantage of the local timber industry and using renewable materials for the acoustical envelope of the
concert space. Additionally, the outer skin composed of polycarbonate and a wooden frame allows for
natural light and ventilation. Seven acres of parking for 1,500 cars is entirely covered with grass and trees,
thanks to a technique developed by the landscape architect Michel Desvigne.

Limoges Concert Hall photos by Christian Richters from Bernard Tschumi Architects

Znith concert halls have been a major feature of French cultural life over the last twenty-five years, and
these state-sponsored venues for rock concerts, political gatherings, and other cultural events have seen
the work of major architects including Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Massimiliano Fuksas, and Tschumi,
whose previous award-winning Znith in the city of Rouen employed a similar double-envelope with
completely different materials for an urban site.
The project team for the Znith Concert Hall in Limoges has been led by Bernard Tschumi and BTuA
partner Veronique Descharrires. The design and construction team also includes the local architectural
office Atelier 4, Scne for the stage design, Technip TPS for engineering, and CIAL for acoustics.

Limoges Concert Hall photo by Peter Mauss/ESTO from Bernard Tschumi Architects

Bernard Tschumi Architects Bernard Tschumi Architects, based in New York and Paris, is currently
completing the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, the BLUE residential tower in New York City, the ECAL
art school and a railway station in Lausanne, Switzerland. Projects under study include: a museum in
Alesia, France, a cultural center in Bordeaux-Cenon, a cultural center and department store in The
Hague, and the Diaoyutai Ouest Hotel in Beijing. The firm just completed the master plan for the
Independent Financial Centre of the Americas in the Dominican Republic and is currently designing the
first phase. Recently built projects include the Athletic Center for the University of Cincinnati; the factory
and headquarters for Vacheron Constantin in Geneva, Switzerland; and the School of Architecture at
Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Bernard Tschumi Architects opened in 1983 with the
competition winning project for the Parc de la Villette in Paris, a 125-acre cultural park with 25 folies,
pedestrian bridges, promenades, and outdoor facilities.

Limoges Concert Hall images / information from Bernard Tschumi Architects 2007
Limoges Concert Hall design : Bernard Tschumi Architects

Map
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References
McManus, D. (2015, April 15). Limoges Concert Hall. Retrieved from e-architect:
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/france/limoges-concert-hall