Alhambra, Geneva

Initially built in 1918-1920 for the cinema, the Alhambra hall became a concert hall for amplified music. This landmarked hall needed a deep renovation as well as the addition of backstage facilities. Listed building.

Information Sheet ↓

View from the stage on the seat rows of the historic landmark concert hall. Here some seats are disassembled to accommodate more public. There is acoustic absorption below the technical grid, on both the first and second balcony sidewalls and on the parterre rear wall. Photo © Olivier Wavre, Alhambra

Display of acoustic curtains on the first balcony's sidewalls. Photo © Olivier Wavre, Alhambra

Information Sheet

Renovation/Transformation Alhambra www.alhambra-geneve.ch

Location Geneva, Switzerland. Listed building.

Project Cost 25 million CHF (approx. 23 million € according to the opening year's conversion rate).

Time Frame Studies: 2006-2011. Construction: 2012-2013. Opening: March 2015.

Owner City of Geneva.

Architect(s) Marc Brunn, Brunn + Butty Architectes, Geneva • Julien Menoud, Graf & Menoud Architectes, Geneva • Architech (execution details and local construction supervision) www.architech.ch

Theatre Planner(s) Alexandre Forissier, Pontvolant, Geneva.

Seat Count A 697-seat concert hall, with standing audience option (up to 750 with retractable seat rows). 2 foyers, dressing rooms, offices, and a coffee shop.

Uses Amplified music (jazz, world music, rock, pop, etc.), and classical music.

Services Acoustic consulting services throughout the project, from evaluation of existing situation to achieved transformation. Addition of backstage facilities for the musicians.

Team Eckhard Kahle, Yann Jurkiewicz, Nathalie Faillet, Kahle Acoustics.