Local politicians are responding to criticism of the costly project for the provincial city that the theater will be an investment in the future, and soon the Archipelago will allow Perpignan to become as famous as the Guggenheim Museum in the case of Bilbao.
Perpignan is a city in the south of France with a population of 300 thousand inhabitants, which is the center of the historical region of Roussillon. It is 30 km away from the border with Spain, and the proximity of Barcelona obliges to keep up with the level of cultural life. It is assumed that the new theater, deploying its "cultural program" towards the Mediterranean, will help Perpignan to attract tourists from Toulouse to Barcelona.
As for the theater itself, it is a complex of several buildings, differing in architectural design, an "archipelago" composed of volumes of different functions. Pomegranate, the main hall with a capacity of 1,100, has the shape and color of this semi-precious stone. This image was not chosen by Nouvel by chance: the pomegranate is considered a symbol of Roussillon, it can be found on the banks of the Tet River, which flows through Perpignan.
During the construction of the hall, shotcrete was used, which made it possible to give it the intended ovoid shape. On top of it was applied the Cofex polymer used in water treatment plants. It is flexible enough to seal 7mm cracks while still providing the required tightness with a 30-year warranty. And the similarity with pomegranate in texture and color was achieved by applying 1 layer of red and two layers of black paint; then the surface was varnished. The interior is also dominated by dark red tones.
The volume of the grate, usually the highest part of any theater, received facades of rough concrete, reminiscent of the fortified walls of old Perpignan. The small stage, intended for concerts of contemporary music (400 seats), was placed in a rectangular block with corten steel cladding. The rehearsal room with "vaulted" ceilings received shiny aluminum on the outside and black wood on the inside. The "tower" of the administration is marked by facades of golden metal, and the building of the scenery warehouse serves as a huge billboard, completely sealed with posters and announcements.
Yulia Kozlova
