The Theater Factory: The New Le Maillon in Strasbourg | Solarlux

The new theater of the city of Strasbourg "Théatre Le Maillon" presents itself in monumental heights and lengths. Pilaster strips and large openings divide the black concrete facade and give the building the appearance of a container stack. The Cero Window System from Solarlux was installed as a glazing solution.

Inside, the voluminous rooms with large curtain walls create a remarkable impression. The concept of the theater is an atmosphere of a creative workshop, a huge blank canvas just waiting to be brought to life. This is experienced further as one continues to explore the building.

Design Concept

Everything is possible in this new theatre. The building, designed by LAN Architects can adapt to all kinds of configurations and art forms. This is possible by being able to connect different elements to each other, and changing certain elements. Even the atrium, which is half-open at the top, can become an open-air theater. Large openings in the exterior façade create a dialogue with the urban space. On the inside, the atrium can be connected to the large foyer if required. To achieve this, the architects inserted two large sliding windows from Solarlux into the intermediate glass façade.

Solarlux Solution

The permeability and flexibility that characterize Theatre Le Maillon are especially experienced in this space in a monumental way. This is thanks to the use of two Cero Curtain Wall Systems containing four glass elements over 12 meters wide for one system, and six glass elements over 18 meters wide both 3.6 meters high.

In order to integrate Cero perfectly into the façade, Solarlux designed the systems without automatic operation, which allowed them to create a narrow crossbar profile of only 40 millimeters wide. Thanks to sophisticated technology, the elements, each weighing six hundred kilograms only, can be moved effortlessly and quietly. Whether open or closed: The Cero Sliding Windows support the theatre's program at all times through openness, spontaneity, and flexibility.