After two and a half years of work, the renovation and expansion of the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne is complete. The institution now has five rooms, including a new one for rehearsals. The accommodation capacity increases by 15%. Opening scheduled for January 18.
The theater at the water’s edge, designed by the architect Max Bill and built for the Swiss National Exhibition of 1964, now becomes “a beautiful city of theater at the water’s edge”, in the words of its director Vincent Baudriller. “The theater can today meet the requirements of a reference institution at the height of its international influence”, he declared on Wednesday during the presentation of the new theatrical setting to the media.
“This new tool will allow the theater to continue to be both a place of research, production and creation (…) and a place open to a large audience, welcoming, accessible and inclusive”, added Mr. Baudriller.
Large room: 50 more seats
Entirely renovated and modernized, its main hall has gained in space, length and height. It will be able to accommodate 430 people instead of 365 to 385 so far, that is to say regarding fifty more. In total, with its new large rehearsal hall which reduces rehearsal time in performance halls, the theater can increase the number of performances and offer around 70,000 seats per season, or 15% more than before.
The Charles Apothéloz stage and room are now equipped with the most modern technical machinery and IT tools to host large-scale and technically more sophisticated shows. The Gateway has also been renovated.
Visually, it is therefore the “rehearsal studio” which is the great novelty and extension of the site. This new room, attached to the eastern wing, is made up of La Passerelle and the Foyer Kantina (reception and catering), covering a total surface area of 340 m2.
Light sculpture on the roof
Another visual novelty: the roof of the main hall, the highest on the site, is topped with a luminous sculpture made up of two faces and entitled “Possible encounters”. It is the work of Swiss artist Augustin Rebetez.
Only the René Gonzalez room dating from 1996 and Le Pavillon en bois built in 2017 have not been renovated. On the other hand, each of the five rooms on the site has been renamed with an additional number in its name, in connection with its date of construction (rooms 64, 76, 96, 17 and 23).
The workspaces have been improved as well as the dressing rooms for artists. The security, heating, electrical and sanitary systems have been brought up to date. An upgrade to energy and acoustic standards has also been made. The work was an opportunity to add green roofs in favor of biodiversity and solar panels.
“In line”
The iconic theater had not seen any major intervention in almost 60 years and suffered from dilapidation, fragility and outdated safety standards. “We wanted to act on this place in the continuity” of the legacy of Max Bill “rather than by freedom”, explained François Jolliet, co-founder of Pont 12 Architectes, office responsible for the transformation.
The cost of the project amounts to 27.5 million francs, including 25 million for the City of Lausanne and the remaining 2.5 million for the Théatre de Vidy with the support of partners and anonymous donors. Lausanne trustee Grégoire Junod estimated the overrun in public spending at around 10%, so 27.5 million in the end for the City, due in particular to the Covid-19 crisis and the rise in the price of materials.
One month special program
The complete reopening of the Théâtre de Vidy to the public is scheduled for January 18 with an intense and abundant program of around ten shows over a month: theatre, dance, visual arts, new creations, receptions or revivals, from Switzerland, Europe or elsewhere. A nod to the young generation and the future, it is a show for young audiences that will launch the inauguration festivities on January 17 in the followingnoon.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats
