The Tour CB21 Auditorium in La Défense, Paris

As part of a vast renovation of Tour CB21 in La Défense in Paris, real estate investors Covivio brought in the interior design team of Bouchaud Architectes to supervise the refurbishment of the 250-seat auditorium. The brief included a focus on detail and minimalist style, using a selection of warm materials in natural shades to build bespoke fittings. It was also an exercise in how to provide precise, stylish solutions to meet users’ needs.

For the acoustics, the required sound-absorbing surfaces were subject to the same principles. The architects are familiar with Texaa solutions. Vibrasto cladding knitted from linen was their initial choice, but they finally opted for a natural heathered (MR130 Chiné naturel) shade, which matches very well with the project’s overall aesthetic. It was however necessary to slightly modify the standard installation method, rather than use the battens usually supplied by Texaa. The inside walls are in fact made up of tall microperforated wooden box-like structures with one corner protruding into the room, which required cladding. To do this the project team turned to the workshop ARTIS. Cécile Cabiro, the managing director of ARTIS explains, “We are used to working with Vibrasto, and we like how flexible and adaptable it is, because it can give us appreciable freedom in installing it. It’s relatively easy to slightly modify the way it is fitted. So the joiner delivered the wooden boxes and judging from our experience with Vibrasto, we decided to stretch-fit it and staple it behind each frame. It was the best way to apply the cladding to the bespoke structures, especially to cover the corner edges that stick out into the room. It was all fitted in our workshop, then delivered to the worksite to be installed.” The same installation technique was used for the auditorium’s back wall, also made up of wood panels. Everyone agrees how stylish the end result looks.

Project name: Renovation of the Tour CB21 auditorium

Year to be delivered: 2022

Town-city / Country: Courbevoie

Project owner or contracting authority: Covivio

Contractor: Bouchaud Architectes

Photographer: Vincent Muracciole

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