Paris (AFP)
The Théâtre du Châtelet regains its youthful colors after two and a half years of expertise and work which, with delicacy and distinction, have succeeded in restoring luster and cheerfulness to this popular theater.
In a building that has had five restorations since its inauguration in 1862, it gives an impression of freshness. It removed a brown-beige color that sadly covered corridors and vestibules. And original fake marble decorations, with trompe-l'oeil effects, have appeared.
"We ended the reign of beige," welcomed AFP the architect mandated Philippe Pumain who, with Christian Laporte, heritage architect, supervised this project, one of the largest in the City of Paris in recent years.
The total cost was € 31.5 million, of which € 5.2 million was financed by advertising and sponsorship - including a subscription from the Heritage Foundation (121 donors and € 43,000 collected).
The most brilliant success is the big room. She found the chandelier that had wanted to give Gabriel Davioud, architect of the Theater du Châtelet. The restoration focused on the painted and gilded parts of the balconies and dome.
- "To restore, it was to redo" -
The auditorium has also found its backlit ceiling (formerly with gas jets), which will offer in the room different light intensities through color variations of the ceiling.
For the painted and gilded parts, "we tried," says Philippe Pumain, "to be as close to the original decor as I think the room has never been so close to today. of the nineteenth century, they have repainted the decorations, restored.But restore at the time, it was almost redone.The original decor has hardly been seen since the late nineteenth century, "he says. .
It was therefore necessary to remove, one by one, the paint, varnish and bronzine overlays to make this 2,000-seat room brighter and more colorful.
For the Grand Foyer, "we did not find the original decor and we had to study the original photos and drawings, so we recreated this wallpaper, we drew, we printed, it has been recreated in a neo-renaissance style. " For more light, five oculi overlooking the neighboring gallery have been opened.
Another meticulous investigation was conducted for the allegorical statues depicting dance, drama, comedy and music perched on the balustrade of the Nijinski Terrace.
"They had disappeared at the end of the nineteenth century, so it was necessary to study the work of the four sculptors from historical photos, to redo the statues," said the architect.
In addition to the artistic restoration, it is a complex of technical works that have been completed: decombage and complete asbestos removal, 100% renovation of ventilation networks, heating, plumbing, air conditioning, expansion and modernization of locker rooms and toilets for ladies. , access for people with reduced mobility.
- Russian Ballets -
A new, computerized stage cage will also allow for faster set changes and more porting.
Another update of the day, the galleries have changed their name: the Adami Gallery has become the Joséphine Baker Gallery, the Salon des Glaces Salon Juliette Gréco, the Salon Debussy has been renamed Salon Barbara, the Salon Wagner is called Salon Nadia and Lili Boulanger.
Ruth Mackenzie, artistic director of the Théâtre du Châtelet, recalled the popular character of this prestigious place, known beyond Paris, "where was invented a new form of operetta, where Russian ballets came as well as Picasso, Cocteau , Satie, Stravinsky, Debussy: they invented new artistic forms ".
Nijinski's ballet "The Afternoon of a Fauna" on Debussy's music has had its world premiere here. And Erik Satie inaugurated Parade, his first ballet written by Cocteau, with the first stage painted by Picasso.
© 2019 AFP