The Dole Municipal Theater was built between 1840 and 1844 following a contest won by the engineer and architect Jean-Baptiste Martin with a project which met the compliance and financial guidelines set by the local authorities.

Over the years, malfunctions and non-compliance with regulations in force in matters of safety and accessibility posed a serious threat of closure to the Dole Theater. The level of comfort offered to the public and the sanitary condition of the structure had become rather disappointing, and the technical installations ill-adapted to the standards and uses of a 21st century theater.

This restoration represented multiple challenges: preserving the amazing features of the building, offering the best solutions to improve the visitors' comfort as well as bringing the site up to standards in terms of safety and universal accessibility.

In 2013, and in collaboration with the scenographer Architecture & Technique, we won the consultation for the restoration of this early-19th-century Italian theater, which is now led by the Scènes du Jura - Scène nationale.

A first construction works phase focusing on the outdoor spaces was carried out and delivered in 2018. The second phase, completed in 2021, focused on interior spaces and aimed at recovering the theatre's spirit while adapting the technical features and the public's comfort to modern issues.

Location
Dole

Project type
Rehabilitation, modernisation,
and accessibility

Program
Theaters and convention centers

Project owner
City of Dole

Team
Chatillon Architectes
(lead architect)
Architecture &
Technique (scenographer)

Budget
6.5 M€ HT

Timeline
2014 – 2021