The auditorium of the Fondation Louis Vuitton complex features an

stage technology
serapid
Poise and
elevation
The auditorium of the Fondation Louis Vuitton complex
features an advanced stage system that can convert its
configuration from a flat reception area into tiered seating
Above: The striking glass
and steel exterior of the
Foundation Louis Vuitton
Opposite left: The LinkLift
driven platforms rise from a
flat stage floor to as high as
8ft, with seating rotating from
under the stage up to position
Opposite right: A side view
of the theater’s 16 rows of
independently operating
LinkLift driven platforms
92
auditoria Annual 2015
D uring a flight more than a decade
ago, famed Los Angeles-based
deconstructivist architect Frank
Gehry took a single sheet of
paper and sketched out a design
for an impossible-looking building made of 12
immense glass sails. Now fully realized, and set to
open its doors in Paris, France, in autumn 2014,
Gehry’s stunning project – the Fondation Louis
Vuitton – is a truly technical achievement. The
US$143m glass and steel structure, inspired by
the Parisian glass architecture of the 19th and 20th
centuries, is not just a museum for contemporary
art but a remarkable sculpture in its own right.
LVMH Moët Hennessy (LVMH), the wellknown multinational luxury brand conglomerate,
has established itself in recent decades as a major
patron of the arts, opening a contemporary
art exhibition space, the Espace Culturel Louis
Vuitton, on the Champs-Élysées, holding a
number of art exhibitions, international arts and
fashion competitions, distributing grants, prizes
and even lending Stradivarius violins to an array
of talented musicians.
Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, and an
avid art collector, first approached Gehry in
2001 about his decision to build an exceptional
new cultural center devoted specifically to arts
and creation. For inspiration, Gehry visited the
proposed site next to the Jardin d’Acclimatation,
in the Bois de Boulogne.
Gehry recalls his thoughts during that visit:
“I dreamed of designing a magnificent vessel
symbolizing the culture of France.” His vision
was a building among waterfalls, streams
and ponds, that would fit into the natural
environment, appearing as lightweight as a
winged insect. “I wanted to express a notion of
transparency,” states Gehry.
New methodologies
The unprecedented design that resulted called
for new methodologies at nearly every step of the
building’s construction. To facilitate the design, a
collaborative software program, Digital Project,
was developed by Gehry Technologies to allow
a team of over 200 professionals to work with a
common 3D model. The 145,000ft2 of glass that
forms the roofing was accomplished by a new
shaping process that called for the creation of
a new furnace. Studies were done to determine
the best methods for fire safety, condensation
risk and leak tightness, heat, durability and
maintenance constraints as well as user comfort.
The site itself presented challenges as the
project became the subject of court battles,
with the building being ruled as encroaching
on a public right-of-way and a disruption of
the park’s atmosphere. A landscape project
including revisions to walkways and replanting
of botanicals was carried out, and changes
stage technology
were subsequently made to the original plans.
After a successful appeal of the court decision,
construction resumed.
“Its aim is to underline French creativity,” says
Bernard Arnault. “We want to link timelessness
and extreme modernity.” To this effect, the center
has 700,000ft2 of exhibition space to contain
modern and contemporary art, as well as some
from Arnault’s own extensive art collection,
and temporary exhibitions of established and
contemporary artists.
As Louis Vuitton began his career as a suitcase
maker, the theme of travel is a common thread.
The desire to create a dialog and exchange of
ideas that support exploration and adventure
created the need for an auditorium space that
would host lectures, press conferences and
concerts, as well as art installations involving
extensive use of video and sound projection.
Renowned French scenographers dUCKS
scéno were called in to bring their expertise to
the project, designing a 350-seat multipurpose
theater with a multitude of configurations, to be
accomplished using Serapid’s LinkLift system.
Quality lift
Three large galleries open out onto the 5,000ft2
auditorium. Designed as a highly flexible
performance and lecture space, the theater has 16
rows of independently operating LinkLift driven
platforms that rise from a flat stage floor to as
high as 8ft, with seating that cleverly rotates from
under the stage up to position.
auditoria Annual 2015
93
stage technology
serapid
Left: The platforms have a
static load of 750daN/m2 and
a dynamic load of 255daN/m
Right: A single platform unit.
Each is operated by 2-3kW
motors for lift and 2-37kW
for seat rotation
Bottom right: The venue’s
bleacher style seating in
its fully raised position
Retracted to floor level, these platforms
together comprise a 2,000ft2 flat stage floor,
slightly less than half of the entire auditorium.
The LinkLift columns lift the platforms as quickly
as 2in per second. Intended to open up into rows,
bleacher style, the seats rotate into position with
a minimum turnover time of 39 seconds.
“The platforms have a static load of
750daN/m2 and a dynamic load of 255daN/m2
and are operated by 2-3kW motors for lift,
and 2-37kW for seat rotation,” explains Eric
Michaut, Serapid STI’s product manager for
theater. “The entire array is operated by a userfriendly touchscreen interface, which allows for
Art of motion
Stage configurations:
• Flat
• Racked, with two angles: 11°
and 26°
• Can be organized as a pit
with or without seats
• Allows the creation of a stage
in front of the rows with use
of six scissor-lift platforms
Possibilities:
• Television and studio
productions
• Press conferences
• Concert and theater
productions
• Cocktail receptions,
seminars
• Artist and fashion collection
promotions
• Special presentation of major
artworks – the mobile wall
allows the exhibition gallery
to be extended
94
auditoria Annual 2015
Serapid lifting systems used:
• The service platform uses
one LinkLift size 80 chain
• The six stage platforms each
use two LinkLift size 50
chains
• Flexible seating system is
made of 16 complete Quick
Seating Exchange rows with
structures and mechanical
stairs
• The rehausse platform
underneath rows 7 to 16 uses
eight LinkLift size 100R
chains
• The access platform uses
four LinkLift size 80 chains
Serapid LinkLift chains provide
electromechanical vertical
movement of large weights in a
compact and robust format
performance set up to be swift, highly variable
and extremely easy. In addition to the flexible
auditorium, the venue also possesses six stage
platforms, one rehausse platform and one
access platform.”
With the ambition of encouraging and
promoting artistic creation both in France and
internationally, LVMH has not only created a
remarkable space for cultural patronage, but also
an architectural landmark for the ages. Serapid
is proud to have participated in the fulfillment of
this vision. n
www.serapid.com