An architectural gem

In its position overlooking Lake Geneva, La Source Vive immediately reveals a striking personality. The curved, flowing lines of its design create an enveloping atmosphere, where the architecture offers a rare closeness with the artists. An oculus in the ceiling lets in a light that is both gentle and elusive, bathing the hall in a singular, captivating luminosity. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the venue combines staging versatility, smooth acoustics and optimal recording conditions, framed by the exceptional natural backdrop that makes its setting unique within the European musical landscape.

A striking identity

The starting point for the architects was to build a concert hall that created a dialogue with its neighbour, without ever trying to imitate it. To let the form flow from the landscape and the acoustic demands of the project. From this desire, a partially-buried shell was born, with rounded lines, which seems to both emerge from the ground and to be rooted deep within it. The language of the materials extends the vision: the warm wood of La Grange finds its counterpart here in the simplicity and mineral nature of concrete and plaster. On the outside, the pre patinated copper tiles catch the light and return it in shimmering, vibrant reflections that shift with the rhythm of the seasons. This copper, both noble and timeless, is a defining feature of La Source Vive, integrating the building harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. A venue with a striking identity, its difference defining its complementarity to La Grange au Lac.

Les Mélèzes, salles de spectacles à Evian - Extérieur de la Source Vive et La Grange au Lac en arrière plan

A full sensory experience

Designed as immersive architecture, true to the vision of its founder Aline Foriel-Destezet, La Source Vive envelops spectators and musicians in a space where every element is part of the experience. A hybrid concert hall drawing mostly on the "vineyard" style, its innovative oval shape and the asymmetry of its terraced seating allow for an exceptionally comfortable visual experience for the audience and reinforce the feeling of intimacy with the artists. Its curved lines and the beam of light from the oculus create a mysterious feel, emphasised by the path leading into the concert hall: from the foyer that looks out onto nature, through the rock and covered passage, to the lobby which opens onto the large, bright volumes of the hall itself.

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Acoustics refined by science

The acoustic design of La Source Vive benefited from the joint expertise of the PCA-STREAM agency and the meta research unit, as well as from recommendations from Albert Yaying Xu, renowned expert in the field, who was also the acoustics expert for La Grange au Lac and for whom this was his final project. Designed in close collaboration with Renaud Capuçon, the venue meets the most demanding of requirements: each element, from the internal geometry to the materials used, was subject to modelling, testing and precise analysis in order to attain a balance of sound of the highest quality. Composed of eight finely-tuned, adjustable, metal crescents, the abat-son reflects sound towards the audience and artists, contributing to the remarkable acoustics. In the same way, the plaster reliefs that line the curved ceiling help to diffuse and reflect the sound, enhancing both the clarity and the warmth of the listening experience.

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A place to create

In keeping with the vision of its founder Aline Foriel-Destezet, La Source Vive is dedicated to hosting the most refined forms of music, from recitals to chamber ensembles, as well as bespoke creations that weave music and song together with other performing arts such as theatre, dance or staged readings. Thanks to its modular stage and turnkey studio, the venue is equally suited to performance or recording, offering artists a true creative workshop where projects live up to the scale of the venue, like a work of art created on site.

The features that define La Source Vive

Les Mélèzes, salles de spectacles à Evian - Oculus, puit de lumière de la Source Vive

The oculus

At the apex of La Source Vive, an oculus lets in natural light, a source which is a defining feature of this new concert hall, allowing musicians to rehearse in harmony with nature, in direct dialogue with the sky. For its architects, this circle of light is also the symbolic summit of a shell designed like a cosmic cone, an opening which links the room to the outside world and the universe. During concerts, a shade can be drawn across the oculus so that the space gently encloses the music.

Les Mélèzes, salles de spectacles à Evian - Abat-son Lustre de la Source Vive suspendu au plafond

The abat-son chandelier

The majestic sculpture suspended from the ceiling in La Source Vive holds more than meets the eye. Within this apparent work of art, in reality an extremely technical apparatus is concealed. Fulfilling its dual functions of chandelier and abat-son, this sculptural form holds all the lighting systems (stage, technical and emergency lighting), as well as eight metal crescents which form the abat-son, ensuring the acoustic quality of the venue. From the integration of projectors, load calculations and the choice of materials... all these requirements merge seamlessly into a structure that remains astonishingly delicate. Its shape, designed like a corolla, evokes both the lightness and the complexity of a flower. The true feat lies in creating the illusion of simplicity where everything is the result of the finest engineering.

Les Mélèzes, salles de spectacles à Evian - Tuiles de cuivre recouvrant la charpente de la Source Vive

The copper tiles

La Source Vive is covered in pre-patinated copper tiles which protect its imposing sprucewood frame. Resting on a structure of 21 curved arches forming a shell 30 metres in diameter, this noble and timeless outer case is the finishing flourish of a true technical feat. By capturing the light and reflecting its variations through the seasons, it enables the building to melt harmoniously into its surroundings, whilst providing remarkable heat and sound insulation.

The double shell

La Source Vive consists of two egg-shaped shells echoing one another and giving the venue its unique silhouette. This structure is a result of both the topographical constraints and the acoustic requirements for the concert hall.

The interior shell, made from concrete and plaster, forms the acoustic envelope which protects and enhances the sound. The exterior shell, made from a huge wooden frame on top of a concrete base, accommodates the audience as they circulate, and the technical facility areas. This ingenious layering offers high levels of heat and sound insulation, whilst giving the concert hall its remarkable architectural signature.