“Zenith” halls are multi-programmatic arenas aimed at gathering large crowds for rock concerts, political meetings, and occasional sports events (skating, basketball, etc.). Seating characteristically varies between 6,000 and 8,000 places. Since the mid-80s, various city and regional governments throughout France have held competitions for such halls, and more than a dozen have been built by different architects. more

Our project for the Zenith in Strasbourg not only aimed at fulfilling the strict program requirements of the hall, but also at providing a “flagship” building for a new cultural and technological city quarter in Eckbolsheim, located on the outskirts of Strasbourg along a busy highway leading in to the city center.

Our concept inserts the semi-circular concert hall into the square defined by the curved sheet envelope above. The simplicity of the geometric strategy allows an extraordinarily generous space to unfold above the entrance and foyer areas of the project. The curved diagrid structure spans over 100 meters and covers the hall, foyer, and support spaces.
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Credits

SCHEDULE
International Competition, 2003
BUDGET
$55,000,000
CLIENT
District of Strasbourg
TEAM
Lead designer: Bernard Tschumi. Key Personnel: Anne Save de Beaurecueil, Dominic Leong, Sarrah Khan, Robert Holton, with Véronique Descharrières, Jean Jacques Hubert, Antoine Santiard back

Program: Cultural, Performance, Public Buildings