Maison de la Culture de Grenoble, Cultural center and concert hall in Grenoble, France
The Maison de la Culture de Grenoble, known as MC2, is a 22,000 m² venue on rue Paul-Claudel. Its lower white cylinder, clad in rectangular panels and raised on slender columns, carries a narrower dark cylinder with vertical ribs. Inside are a 1,028-seat hall, a 998-seat auditorium, a 244-seat room and a 494-seat creation hall.
The building was designed by André Wogenscky and opened in 1968 for the Winter Olympics, with Culture Minister André Malraux conducting the official inauguration. From the start, the structure was planned as a cultural center for the city.
The MC2 houses the Centre chorégraphique national de Grenoble, directed by Yoann Bourgeois and Rachid Ouramdane since 2016, and the Centre dramatique national des Alpes, which merged with the MC2 on 1 January 2014. The orchestra Les Musiciens du Louvre has been in residence since 1996. Since 2007 the newspaper Libération has held its Estates General of the Renewal here each January, drawing nearly 20,000 people to the debates.
The venue is easily reached by public transport and sits in a central area of the city. Visitors should check ahead for specific event times, as these vary depending on what is scheduled each week.
The 2004 renovation cost €38 million, funded 42.3% by the city, 40% by the state, 10.7% by the department and 8% by the region. Architect Antoine Stinco added a new building linked to the old one by two glass footbridges, housing two dance studios and a creation hall.
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