Image courtesy of Studio Andrew Todd

Wooden theatre by Studio Andrew Todd

The 388-seat auditorium is built in the grounds of the spectacular Chateau d’Hardelot near Calais, once the haunt of Charles Dickens and now home to the Centre Culturel de l’Entente Cordial, which hosts a major annual summer festival celebrating cultural ties with Britain. The building will provide a permanent venue for the cultural centre’s annual Midsummer Festival.

Image courtesy of Studio Andrew Todd

It can also be used as a small opera house with an orchestra pit and proscenium. Twelve-metre-high bamboo poles encases the main structure to create a cage-like exterior, with a pathway slotted in behind. At the centre, a cylinder clad in larch houses a two-storey auditorium that seats 388 people, while shorter, curved sections are staggered around it.

Image courtesy of Studio Andrew Todd

The Chateau d’Hardelot and its surroundings are the home of the Centre Culturel de l’Entente Cordial, which is dedicated to strengthening cultural ties between France and Britain through exhibitions, conferences, theatre and music. Studio Andrew Todd won the project following a design competition organised by The Département du Pas de Calais.

more. studioandrewtodd.com