- Key Figures
- From 10,000 to 40,000 Spectators
- 40 Events Per Year
- $408 Million Of Investment
- 4 Years Of Work
Recreate several venue setups with fully moveable telescopic stands
Set during the month of July, the Avignon Festival is one of the most important contemporary performing arts events in the world. Featuring 250 shows, exhibitions and more, in over 20 historic and/or open-air places all over the city, it attracted 150,000 spectators in 2018.
The Venue
Shortly after its inception in 1947, it became clear there was a need for a dedicated location for creation and rehearsals. Eventually, in 2013, La FabricA, a complex designed by the architect Maria Godlewska, was inaugurated by the French Minister of Culture.
La FabricA includes 18 separate living quarters for performers, a 2152 ft² workshop and a roofed hall. The hall was designed to match the dimensions of the largest and most iconic venue of the festival: the courtyard of the Palais des Papes (Palace of Popes). It hosts shows and rehearsals all year long, and has a maximum seating capacity of more than 600 people.
The particularity of the hall lies in its complete flexibility, as its primary purpose was to recreate the condition in the different venues of the festival.
The Challenges
The main challenge was to find stands which offer flexibility while respecting the three design constraints of the hall. First, the stand must be able to be moved and positioned at any point in the hall, to match the configuration of the different venues in the city.
However, no lifting equipment can be used in the hall due to the delicate nature of the hall flooring, the latest being made of beech wood floor on joist. Lastly, the stands must be stored in another room to allow the use of the hall in an empty configuration. Thus, they must pass through the 11 feet wide and 14 feet high door.
Setup of the moveable telescopic standMaster's Solution
To perfectly meet the challenge, MASTER Industrie developed a patented telescopic seating system. Named MASTER Eureka, it offers complete mobility without lifting equipment. To reach any position in the hall, the retractable stand can move back and forth, fully rotate and move laterally.
MASTER Industrie designed a telescopic stand with tip-up fabric bench, for La FabricA’s hall. Thanks to the Eureka system, the stand is equipped with built-in multidirectional motorization. Furthermore, its operation is safe and swift, and does not require additional operators as it is controlled remotely. The wheels stay in constant contact with the floor which eases the load repartition and preserves the floor’s durability.
Ovation after a play at La FabricAThe telescopic stand offers a maximum seating capacity of 360 people. It consists of two blocks with a length of 31 feet and weighs around 10 short tons each. A removable stand completes the system, offering more configuration possibilities. For example, when placed behind the telescopic stand, the audience seating reaches a height of approximately 25 feet. This additional seating capacity of 270 people is also commonly used facing the telescopic stand.
Tipup fabric bench
Moving the telescopic seating
Storage room
Over the years, La FabricA became a flagship stage of the Festival of Avignon. Its flexibility continuously fuels artist creation, while promoting contemporary art performance to the masses all year long.
Watch the Eureka system in motion!
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