NEST national drama centre — Thionville
Design-build-operate contract for a new cultural venue for the Nest.
The story of the NEST begins in 1963 with the Théâtre Populaire de Lorraine, a company set up as a workers' cooperative. Based on the left bank of the Moselle in the "wooden theatre", which seats around 250 people, it was awarded the label of cross-border Centre dramatique national in 2008.
To strengthen its remit, the city of Thionville has undertaken the construction of a new facility dedicated to live performance, in the Rive Gauche development zone. Split into two buildings by the shape of the plot, the brief brings together Le Nest — performance hall, creation hall, outreach and administration — and Les Ateliers du Nest, given over to sets and costumes.
Scenarchie is acting as co-contracting scenographer on this design-build-performance contract, from preliminary design through to handover. The performance hall, a volume of 31.30 × 20 m, combines a 15 m high stage house, a 280 m² stage level with the front row and a fixed stand of 347 seats, including 8 wheelchair spaces; capacity can be reduced to 170 seats using a dividing curtain and a mobile control position. The creation hall, 210 m² under 8.80 m, has timber walkways, four traversable motorized batten sets and a dance floor on damping pads.
