Strasbourg Music and Convention Center

This project combines two important concert halls with new construction to create a harmonious whole and a distinctive architectural identity. Located near the Parliament of the European Union, the 450,000 square-foot-complex offers an international center for music, business, meetings, exhibitions and conventions. The commission was awarded by unanimous jury decision in an international design competition in 2011.

Continuing the geometries of two existing buildings, a new 35,000-square-foot multi-function hall was added to achieve a 3-lobed footprint for the full ensemble. In the center is a new skylit lobby that integrates the whole with monumental stairs, bridges, new main entrance and forecourt. All venues and function rooms open onto this central hub of circulation, orientation and reception.

The concert halls were renovated, optimally re-engineered, and painted in memorable monochromatic colors while retaining their sculptural walls. Seating capacity was increased, a new rehearsal hall created for the Strasbourg Philharmonic, an intimate 500-seat theater provided together with a new conference center that floats dramatically over the main entrance. Also included are new meeting rooms and as many support functions as could be incorporated into the existing and new construction. A polished stainless steel colonnade stretches more than a half-mile around all three buildings to unite them in a contemporary whole. The columns create a unique identity for the Palais and emblematize the rich architectural potential for integration of old and new.