Zénith of La Réunion, Saint-Denis de la Réunion
The poly-lobed shape of the Zénith de Saint-Denis is due to an undulation in the plan, amplified by the simultaneous movement of the upper and lower edges of the roof-façade. Its inflections create a space adapted to the concert hall, enclosing the fan-shaped seating and offering further seating space in the axis of the hall. The bulging in the façade also serves to increase the volume of the hall and to accommodate the annexes. During the day, the aluminium surface of the façades reflects the colours of the sky. At night, the Zénith lights up with a play on colours that, in conjunction with its open-to-the-sky shape, works to evoke the image of an incandescent crater, which makes the venue stand out in the landscape.
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Program
Concert hall of 6 000 seats.
Client
CINOR (Communauté intercommunale du nord de La Réunion)
Project team
Chaix & Morel et Associés, Paris
Philippe Chaix, Jean-Paul Morel, Rémy Van Nieuwenhove, Anabel Sergent
with Brunehilde Ezanno, Aurélie de Seze, Antoine Viger-Kohler
and Sophie Bayce, Sébastien Carlier, Valérie Eyquem, Tomaso Mani, Gary Masaero, Julie Ovide, Niccolo’ Ruggini, Jean-François Vaudeville, Camille Vidal, , Katharina Winkler
Jean-François Delcourt, worksite architect
AR&C, structure
Betec, electricity
Inex, mechanical engineering
Peutz & Associés, acoustics
AEI, quantity surveying
Socetem, worksite consultant
Margaret Gray, signage
Vulcanéo, fire safety
Key figures
6 000 seats
Area : 11 500 m² SHON
Construction costs excl. VAT : 13,8 M €
Competition 2003 - studies till DCE phase, project suspended in 2008
Photography credits
Eddie Young
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