The history of the theater "Comédie de Bethune" began in the 1980s, when the authorities of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France founded a national theater center in the small town of Bethune - as part of the general French program of "decentralization" of theatrical life and measures for the cultural development of the area. In 1992 the theater was housed in a circus-type tent, in 1993 it moved to a historical powder warehouse, built according to Vauban's design. However, he needed a more spacious and comfortable room, and for these needs the abandoned Palace cinema of the 1930s was chosen, from which by that time only a frame remained.
The young architect Manuel Gautran and her bureau won the competition for the reconstruction of the cinema in 1994. According to their plan, the first stage was to reconstruct the main building; at the second stage - to add an additional volume with auxiliary rooms. The full implementation of the project at that time was hindered by the need to demolish the building on the adjacent site, so in 1999 only the first part was implemented.
The reconstructed building compactly accommodated the stage and technical rooms, the auditorium and the spaces for visitors. The architects did not try to hide the massive volume of the building, instead they only slightly rounded its shape and painted the concrete facades in a rich cherry color. The choice of this shade is not accidental: it is both a reference to the red velvet of traditional theater and, more interestingly, an allusion to the brick color characteristic of the region. In case the color of the brick was not bright enough, the facades in this area were often painted in a similar tone in order to increase the contrast of the building with the cloudy sky of northern France.
The pattern of black glazed bricks, running in rhombuses throughout the entire volume, confuses the usual scale. The building is restored to the scale of the street by the recreated facade of the "Palace" cinema, inscribed in the overall composition. It should be reminded that it was demolished in 1990, but later it was decided to rebuild its façade as part of the historical heritage of Bethune.
The second, unrealized part of the project, remained only on paper for 10 years. Finally, in 2009, the house on the adjacent corner plot was demolished: this freed up space for an extension of the auxiliary premises that the theater needed so much. A second competition was held for this expansion, and Manuelle Gautrand Architecture became laureates again, not missing the opportunity to complete and improve their own project.
In addition to the construction of the extension, the architects managed to make changes to the part of the project they had previously implemented. Over the years, building codes have changed significantly, so this renovation also included adapting the premises to new requirements. In particular, the theater has become more accessible for people with limited mobility.
The rectangular volume of the extension is designed as simply and functionally as possible. The location of the site on the corner allows the theater to open on two streets at once. The lobby on the ground floor connects the new part with the historical part and unites all functional streams. The façade is clad in alternating matt and glossy black metal panels. The diagonal directions form a diamond-shaped ornament and visually connect the new volume with the rhombuses on the cherry facade of the 1990s. In addition, the source of inspiration for the architects can be traced here - the work of the French abstract artist Pierre Soulages.
According to the authors of the project, it is very important to correspond to the spirit of the time, therefore the new volume is made in a completely different style than its “elder brother”. Now the appearance of the building fully reflects three stages of its history - the 1930s and two reconstructions by Manuelle Gautrand Architecture.
