Avignon

In a city synonymous with theater, we were entrusted with the renovation of a 200-seat performance hall nestled within the ramparts of Avignon. The existing structure — a nineteenth-century chapel converted to a theater in the 1970s — carried layers of architectural memory: gothic arches, mid-century acoustic panels, and decades of improvised stage modifications.

Our approach was archaeological in spirit. We peeled back the accumulated layers to reveal the original stone vaulting, then introduced a new acoustic shell crafted from curved timber ribs. The interplay of ancient stone and contemporary timber creates a space that resonates — both acoustically and emotionally. Custom seating in dark-stained ash with leather upholstery was designed to honour the intimacy of the room.

Lighting became a design material in its own right. A programmable system allows the space to shift from the warm amber of a candlelit chapel to the precise whites required for contemporary performance. The result is a theater that remembers where it has been while embracing what it can become.