The hidden room above one of Paris's oldest theatres

At the Comédie-Française, the real change from the latest renovation sits out of sight, above the auditorium.

La Comédie-Française Theatre Design | Case Studies

The restored 1900 wrought-iron structure, framed against the Paris rooftops beyond.

A famous theatre, and the space above it

The Salle Richelieu is the main auditorium of the Comédie-Française, one of the oldest and most celebrated theatres in Paris. Its latest renovation restored the auditorium audiences know.

But the most significant change happened somewhere the public never sees: the dome directly above it.

The dome is a historic part of the building, built around a wrought-iron structure created by Julien Gadet in 1900. For years it had been used to house the theatre's HVAC equipment.

Reclaim the space, keep the history, block the noise

By reorganising the equipment, Agence Brossy & Associés freed up half the dome, 250m² of usable space, and revealed Gadet's ironwork for the first time in decades.

Making it usable meant meeting two demands: keep the historic iron on show, and seal the room off acoustically so it could be used even during performances.

The curved dome made both harder, since any ceiling had to follow its shape.

Project info

Project name

La Comédie-Française Theatre

Client

La Comedie Francaise

Location

Paris, France

Architecture

Agence Brossy & Associés

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Products used

Rockfon® Mono Acoustic

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Rockfon Mono Acoustic follows the curve of the dome, a seamless surface beside the historic ironwork.

A seamless ceiling that follows the curve

Rockfon Mono Acoustic was installed throughout the curved dome. Its seamless surface follows the shape of the structure alongside the historic ironwork, adding a clean modern ceiling without competing with the 1900 architecture.

At the same time, it delivers the sound insulation the space needed, sealing the room off acoustically from the auditorium below so it can be used freely, even during performances.

"By reducing the space allocated to technical equipment, we reclaimed half the volume of the dome and highlighted the wrought iron structure created by Julien Gadet in 1900," said project architect Stéphane Delaby of Agence Brossy & Associés.

The theatre reopened after 12 months of renovation.

Space reclaimed, character kept

A machine room became 250m² of usable, historic space, acoustically separate from the stage, hidden above one of the most famous auditoriums in Paris.

Also adding modern performance to a historic building without losing its character? Get in touch, and we'll help you find the right solution.