Sleek angular design puts a twist on the convention center

The brief was clear. The town of Jonzac, in southern France, wanted a piece of statement architecture that contained a theater and event hall while embodying the “dynamic nature of the region.” Tetrarc Architectes rose to the challenge, designing a bold, black-clad convention center with a many-angled shape inspired by the local landscape.

The geometric facets of the 52,700-square-foot building contain a reconfigurable “agora” space, a 500-seat auditorium, ticket office, seminar room, catering office, bar and service areas, technical areas, and an access point for a future hotel addition.

Visitors enter through a single main entrance—a light-filled atrium with angled walls that echo the exterior’s geometry. A “circulation gallery” runs along one side of the entire length of the building, connecting the all the spaces together.

The theater space features a complex undulating acoustic shell made of rattan, and crafted by Métalobil after a year of studies followed by eight months of production and installation. The organic natural forms and warm material contrast starkly with the dramatically modern exterior and entry space.

Via: Designboom