Building Resonance: The Great Music Halls of France

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There are many parallels between music and architecture. Each art explores ideas of rhythm and structure, order and space. They are intimately connected to human experience and sequence as acts of orchestration and assembly. Architecture has long been designed to support the experience of concerts and musical events, from the acoustics of gothic churches to modern installations at Burning Man. These spaces include both quieter studios for individual musical reflection and study, and designs that consider broader connections between audience and performance. Here, architecture dramatically shapes experience.

Following our first article on music venues in the UK, the second feature in our Building Resonance Series showcases France’s new music halls. Built across multiple scales, the designs contrast streamlined façades with expressive interiors. Formed with programs for learning, listening and performance, they explore how sound can define space. Setting the stage for interaction and connection, the designs build resonance through harmony and music.

Le 106 by atelier d’architecture King Kong, Rouen, France

Hangar 106 transforms a shipping warehouse into an arena for contemporary music. Symbolizing Rouen’s regeneration, the project features industrial materials like Cor-Ten steel and zinc cladding alongside the harbor’s stark yellow cranes.

The Metaphone by Herault Arnod Architects, France

Designed to evolve over time, the Metaphone was conceptualized as an immense instrument. As a living machine, the project combines a concert hall with an “urban musical instrument.” The design is wrapped in a steel structure covered by a light skin of Cor-Ten steel, wood and glass.

L’ Astrada, concert hall by atelier d’architecture King Kong, Marciac, France

L’ Astrada was made as a music venue that would house the renown Marciac jazz festival. Respecting the town’s medieval past, the unpretentious building was designed with concrete casing and natural wood that is both forceful and smooth.

Music conservatory by Basalt Architectes, Paris, France

Located on the edge of Paris, this music conservatory by Basalt is visible from the Périphérique. Designed to be in constant dialogue with the city, the project was formed as a place for exchange, emulation and a crossroads of practices.

‘Henri Dutilleux’ Music, Theater and Dance Conservatory by Dominique Coulon & Associés, Belfort, France

Echoing the surrounding open landscape, the ‘Henri Dutilleux’ Conservatory rises as a monolithic and seemingly opaque mass. Built with a condensed and superimposed program, multiple functional spaces are connected to fit into each other as the areas are hollowed out of this dense mass.

Theatre and Auditorium Poitiers by JLCG Arquitectos, Poitiers, France

Combing a theater with an auditorium space, this design was made as a simple building volume that sets the stage for social interaction and artistic events. Created to be read at different levels, the project includes a public limestone platform, parallelepiped volumes and white matte glass.

Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon by Ateliers O-S Architectes, Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon, France

As a media library and a school of music and dance, the Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon project is sited on a long and narrow strip plot between Chanteloup park and Orge Valley. Organized as a continuous loop, the design centers around the lobby from where the building and the administration are vertically distributed.

Conservatory of Nantes by Raum Architects, Nantes, France

Raum’s conservatory was created to house both the Academy of Performing Arts of Bretagne-Pays de la Loire and the Conservatory of Nantes. Aiming to open dance and music to contemporary culture, the design follows the alterations of each practice within form and space.

Music School Louviers by OPUS 5 Architectes, Rue Des Pénitents, Louviers, France

Sited in Louviers, Normandy, this music school is housed within a Franciscan monastery from the 1600s. The New Musical School in the convent of the Penitents includes two large orchestra rooms, 24 classrooms and a score library.

La Fabrique by Tetrarc Architectes and Métalobil, Nantes, France

La Fabrique joins together recording studios and performance halls with offices and spaces for digital experimentation. Located among the upcoming center of the “Quartier de la Création,” the project explores history and culture, from the public hall inserted in the concrete post frame of the Halle Dubigeon to the studios above an old air-raid shelter.

L’Atelier by Vincent Parreira atelier d’architecture, Gournay-en-Bray, France

Located in Gournay-en-Bray close to the Place d’Armes, L’Atelier was built on a site formerly occupied by the Damau factory. Known as the “Signal Building,” the project includes copper grid cladding and aims to link old and new through reinterpretation, craft and style.

Author: Eric Baldwin

Based in New York City, Eric was trained in both architecture and communications. As Director of Communications at Sasaki, he has a background spanning media, academia, and practice. He's deeply committed to trying as many restaurants as possible in NYC.

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