Grand Théâtre de Genève

The Geneva Grand Theatre opened in 1879 and remains a key cultural hub for the city. Its renovation-extension offers additional working space (choir rehearsal rooms, ballet rehearsal rooms) in an underground extension, a new, quiet ventilation system and upgraded bars and foyers. Listed building.

Information Sheet

New Build   Renovation/Transformation Grand Théâtre de Genève   www.gtg.ch

Location Geneva, Switzerland. Listed building.

Project Cost 70 million CHF (approx. 60 million € according to the opening year's conversion rate).

Time Frame Design: 2012-2016. Construction: 2017-2019. Opening: February 2019.

Owner City of Geneva, Switzerland.

Architect(s) Atelier March sa, Geneva   www.ateliermarch.ch  •  Linea Architecture Design sarl, Geneva   www.linea-ad.ch

Seat Count Renovation, remodelling and norms compliance for the whole building. Creation of an 813 m²-extension with three new rehearsal rooms, cloakrooms, and technical rooms in the basement, and rehabilitation of three pre-existing rehearsal rooms. Total area: 19 170 m².

Uses Operas, ballets and recitals.

Services Comprehensive acoustic consulting services for the entire project from design to commissioning, including the overall building renovation and the extension creation.

Team Yann Jurkiewicz, Émilie Carayol, Eckhard Kahle, Kahle Acoustics.

1/6Grand Théâtre de GenèveMain façade of the Geneva Grand Theatre (19th century), as seen from Place de Neuve. Photo © Grand Théâtre de Genève, Fabien Bergerat
2/6Grand Théâtre de GenèveView on the ceiling artwork by the artist Jacek Stryjenski, the Milky Way, from the parterre of the 1 500-seat performing hall. Photo © Kahle Acoustics
3/6Grand Théâtre de GenèveOne of the two small rehearsal rooms in the basement's extension underneath the street. Photo © Grand Théâtre de Genève, Fabien Bergerat
4/6Grand Théâtre de GenèveOne of the two rehearsal rooms in the basement, as seen from the corridor. Photo © Grand Théâtre de Genève, Fabien Bergerat
5/6Grand Théâtre de GenèveLarge rehearsal room created in the basement's extension underneath the street, as seen from the corridor. Mainly used for choir rehearsals, it is built as a “box in the box” and features variable acoustics in the shape of removable absorbent panels. Photo © Grand Théâtre de Genève, Fabien Bergerat
6/6Grand Théâtre de Genève3 out of the 4 vertical walls of the large rehearsal room are slightly tilted in order to brake up the parallelism. In addition, these walls can also accommodate removable acoustically absorbing panels along their entire length. Photo © Grand Théâtre de Genève, Fabien Bergerat