Modernizing the René Panhard Municipal Theater Through the Use of Woodwork.

Signage, Arts & Culture, Public & Politic
Théâtre municipal René Panhard
Thiais, France, 2016
Architect : Clé Millet International
Photographer : Arthur Lockhart

In 2016, the Thiais City Hall launched a project to modernize the municipal theater, the most important renovation the century-old building had ever known. The architectural firm Clé Millet was in charge of the project.

Initially, the theater was an office building. Over time, it was used as a city hall, a military hospital during World War I, and a training base during World War II. It became the René Panhard Municipal Theater in 1976.

The architectural project preserved the old decorations and incorporated the woodwork of the reception desk and bar. We chose to reinforce this by experimenting with the material and the typography. We interposed letters and wood on the reception desk, and replaced the vertical parts of the letters with wooden panels on the walls.