Philharmonie de Paris

With the Philharmonie, Jean Nouvel offers innovative architecture which blends into the Parc de la Villette, on the edge of Paris and in the heart of a speedily evolving metropolis.

The Philharmonie brings to life an ancient dream: the initial Cité de la Musique project included a large auditorium, intended to complete the round out the proposed music rooms and amphitheatre. But the Philharmonie doesn’t just aim to be the great concert hall that Paris lacked, it responds to the issues of our time, offering resident or invited orchestras the optimal working conditions that aren’t found elsewhere in the capital, and offering a number of spaces able to host pedagogic activities intended to open music’s doors to the most people possible. Following a competition, Jean Nouvel’s project for this new building was chosen.

A rock-like building with the air of a hill rising from the Parc de la Villette, the Philharmonie offers innovative forms. Its’ brilliant spiralling aluminium forms surrounding the central concert hall contrast with it elegantly- angled matt envelope, coated in a bird mosaic in varying shades of grey. The public can stroll across its’ 37-metre high roof, which offers a panoramic view, merging the city and its’ suburbs.

52 metres high, the Philharmonie de Paris is a landmark in Paris’ north-east. The Philharmonie is also a compass point in the Parc de la Villette. Rather than attempting to dominate the site however, the edifice enters into the urban and architectural context, exchanging with the the site’s other architects (Christian de Portzamparc for the Cité de la musique and the conservatory, and Bernard tschumi with his famous “folies”).

The Symphonic hall - Grande salle Pierre Boulez

A remarkable architectural feat: an ‘enveloping’ auditorium that immerses the audience, for a uniquely intimate listening experience.

A new typology

Following neither the ‘shoebox’ style (as at the Musikverein in Vienna), nor the ‘vineyard’ style (as at the Berlin Philharmonie), the Philharmonie de Paris invents a model all its own, with an adjustable concert hall based on the concept of envelopment. This original design required innovations in architecture, stage design and acoustical engineering. The architect, Jean Nouvel and lead acoustician Sir Harold Marshall designed the room during synergetic sessions, with the architect, acoustician and theatre consultant working in a highly collaborative environment.

Though a large-capacity hall (2400 seats), this space within the Philharmonie feels remarkably intimate. But this feeling can be mathematically explained: the distance between the conductor and the farthest spectator is only 32 metres (compared to 48 metres at the Salle Pleyel for a smaller audience).