VAC
VAC
VAC
Leisure Opportunities
Job search
Job Search
see all jobs
Latest job opportunities

Shigeru Ban's La Seine Musicale opens in Paris

Inside we have adopted a more angular geometry than the egg-shaped exterior in order to answer the acoustic questions we faced

Shigeru Ban’s €170m (US$189.4m, £145.2m) concert venue for Paris has opened on an island in the Seine.

designed with French architect Jean de Gastines on the site that once belonged to France’s biggest factory, La Seine Musicale has been conceived as a both new cultural symbol for the French capital and a music venue that will host all types of performance, from classical to contemporary.

The island of L'île Seguin was once an industrial heartland; home to a Renault car manufacturing plant that employed 30,000 workers before closing in the 1990s. French architect Jean Nouvel has been tasked with reimagining the island as a cultural destination, complete with promenades and gardens, and Ban and de Gastines won the commission to design the La Seine Musicale concert hall – which takes up a third of the island.

The completed 36,500sq m (393,000sq ft) building features a large egg-shaped glass volume sat atop a concrete ship-like structure, seemingly anchored in the river.

The dome is distinguished by a 45m (147.6ft) high solar sail, covered in 470 photovoltaic panels, which is mounted on rails that follow the course of the sun, from east to west, throughout the day – shading the building and creating a changing display of shadows.

La Seine Musicale is home to both a 6,000-capacity great hall for rock and pop concerts and a 1,150-seat classical music auditorium, formed of light oak, birch and cedar.

Speaking about the latter, Ban said: “Inside we have adopted a more angular geometry than the egg-shaped exterior in order to answer the acoustic questions we faced.

“We’ve developed a ceiling made of an assembly of tubes of small sections of wood, cardboard and paper, and weaved wooden slats cover the walls. These materials were used because we were looking for a warm atmosphere.

“The suspended ceiling will generate a set of shadows in the room in response to the lighting – so before each concert spectators can appreciate the room during the moments of waiting for the music to begin.”

The public can access the building through a monumental 10.5m (34.4ft) high hydraulic glass door weighing 5 tons. This leads to an interior boulevard lined with shops and lesiure amenities such as a jazz club. Visitors can also catch a glimpse into the venue’s five recording studios and practice rooms.

Outside there is a 1,800sq m (19,300sq ft) LED screen showing events for people without tickets .There is also a 7,410sq m (80,000sq ft) garden, extending across the roof, that has pedestrian paths through the flora and fauna – including 13 different species of tree.

La Seine Musicale, which was funded by the local government and private donors, is scheduled to host 300 events per year.

Sign up for FREE ezines & magazines
Shigeru Ban’s €170m (US$189.4m, £145.2m) concert venue for Paris has opened on an island in the Seine.
CLD,AAC,ARC,DES,DEV
THUMB19232_231126.jpg

More News

1 - 15 of 69,578
03 Jun 2026
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day (GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and ... More
03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but ... More
03 Jun 2026
Australia’s fast-growing fitness network, Viva Leisure, is adding a low-cost gym brand to its already extensive portfolio. The Zoo Fit rollout starts  in July with ... More
03 Jun 2026
Speedflex has launched a strength training programme for 10 to 16-year-olds, to make it safer, more inclusive and more engaging. Built on the Speedflex training ... More
01 Jun 2026
Tewinbury Farm Hotel in Hertfordshire, UK is expanding its premium leisure proposition with the launch of Farm Club, on 15 June. Located 30 minutes from ... More
01 Jun 2026

Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.

The €800 ... More

01 Jun 2026
Rainer Maelzer, an experiential entertainment innovator, has been appointed chief entertainment officer by Therme Group.  With decades of experience in immersive water-based attractions, Maelzer will ... More
29 May 2026
PureGym is encouraging people to step away from their screens and go for a walk, in a new initiative timed to coincide with Mental Health ... More
29 May 2026
Small improvements to sleep, diet quality, and physical activity, made in combination lead to a significantly reduced risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks ... More
29 May 2026

Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse ... More

28 May 2026
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, ... More
28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations ... More
28 May 2026
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world ... More
28 May 2026

Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its recently launched Sirene Island themed area and ... More

28 May 2026
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary, with the design and concept inspired by the Native ... More
1 - 15 of 69,578
VAC
VAC