The Olivier Theatre
Istres, France
VILLE D'ISTRES
MÉTROPOLE AIX-MARSEILLE-PROVENCE
Architect: WILMOTTE & ASSOCIÉS
Engineers: EGIS BATIMENTS SUD
Sustainable development: BIODYNAMIQE
Landscaper: NEVEUX-ROUYER
Acoustics: LASA AGENCE MÉDITERRANÉE
Scenography engineers: SCENEVOLUTION
Audiovisual and scenography: LABEYRIE & ASSOCIÉS
BIM Management : DATA SHAPES
Signage: ATELIER SUPERNOVA
Cost consultant: MAZET ET ASSOCIÉS
5 200 sqm
2025
Rehabilitation of the Olivier Theatre in Istres.
The Olivier Theatre is strategically located in the old town but does not open up enough to its surroundings. The project totally rethinks the theatre in terms of architecture, programme and landscape so that its urban integration is a perfect link between the city and the lake.
The Olivier theatre in Istres is a building that produces landscape. The architecture becomes a piece of geography, without front or back. The organic form of the building has been chosen to fit sensitively into the context. The soft curves turn around the trees and descend towards the pond. In order to reduce the height as much as possible, the building has been cut from the bottom up, with the floors progressively recessed, like strata by the volume of the stage.
The theatre has an integrated cafe/bar and restaurant. The main auditorium is an elliptical space, with a balcony featuring the same undulations of the external volumetry. The aesthetic is contemporary and uncluttered. The small hall, also in harmony with the rounded forms of the building, is a flexible and playful space. The exhibition room is on the first floor, accessible from the foyer.
