
Finally ! The Beauvaisis urban community closes and opens a new page in its history by inaugurating on Saturday January 11 its new theater worthy of the name, the only national stage in the Oise. A ceremony honored by the presence of the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati and introduced by the pianist-composer recognized for his talent and his humanism, André Manoukian.
The latter is working on a program for teaching improvisation within national conservatories at the request of the Minister of Culture, presented with humor and tact. An inaugural day hosted by the eminent figure of the annual Malices et Merveilles festival at the Maladrerie Saint Lazare: Calixte of Nigremont.
A prelude to the broth of cultural surprises open to the public until the end of the night to introduce the inhabitants of the territory to this “cultural vessel” thus baptized by Franck Pia, mayor of Beauvaiswhich lights up the sky of the “City of art and history”. A crucial step which materializes the local territorial political will displayed in favor of popular culture for several decades, despite the turpitudes, reinforced by this “Renaissance“.

An open-air architectural challenge
The open-air building designed by the architects François Chochon, David Joulin and Laurent Pierrewhich blends into its environment, is erected on the very site of the former “provisional theater” before its transfer outside the walls for 10 years to the Maladrerieanother jewel of local heritage whose restoration continues. The architectural work registered as a heritage site was one of the key issues of the national development and urban reconstruction plan “Beauvais, heart of the city” to increase its activity and attractiveness. The long-awaited theater with its troubled history has been reborn from its ashes in its original location at the southern entrance to the city center and easy to access.
The glass facade of the main entrance offers transparency and visibility from the inside to the outside and from the outside to the inside. A set punctuated by breathing spaces, terrace or patio, accessible to the public. The white concrete structure decorated with a set of sculpted motifs evoking craftsmanship and tapestry which reflects the light, culminates 26 meters high above the large room, echoing the two choirs which dominate it: Saint Etienne church and Beauvais cathedralthe highest heart in Europe.
The refined main entrance hall is highlighted by a large central staircase put into perspective by a play of vertical and horizontal lines of light filling the gaps in height, reminiscent of the shape of the stairs. Volume and brightness accentuated by a marbled white floor. The building was designed to make circulation areas fluid, legible and accessible to people with reduced mobilityincluding technical spaces.


A beautiful culture box for everyone
The theater consists ofa large room with a capacity of 673 seats and two side staircases to offer good visibility to the public in complete equality regardless of the location, anda tray of 390m2 advanced at the foot of the concrete stands cast on site, to allow close play.
The small room as for it, it is entirely modular to accommodate any form of show or standing concerts. It is also intended for rehearsals and creations by artists in residence. With a capacity of 300 people seated, or 300 standing thanks to the removable stands, this multi-function and high-performance room technically was designed to be operated entirely by a peripheral passageway and a ceiling grid. In short, enough to offer both spectators, artists and theater staff, a beautiful cultural box for quality and varied contemporary shows.

The dream gift finally comes true
A year 2025 rich in culture with the inauguration of the art center Quadrilateral and the 800 years of the cathedralwhich will continue throughout the first quarter with staged visits intended for all students of CM2 of the Agglomeration invited to discover and make their own this new space, underlined Valérie Bulard, president of the board of directors of the theater following Guy D’Hardivillersfervent defender of popular theater and of this reconstruction, a sinequanone condition for obtaining the National Scene Label obtained in 2019. Vibrant tributes were paid to him. In this inaugural perspective of a dream so idealized, “constructed and deconstructed” as recalled by Franck Pia, mayor of Beauvais, partially ravaged by flames on July 23, 2020, a few days before his death, the man had written an inaugural speech read by Xavier Crossi, current director.
An ambitious territorial operation of general interest of more than 20 million euros excluding tax (not including the additional cost of 8 million euros following the fire), co-financed by the European Union with the European Rural Development Fund, theState by the DRAC, the regionand all partner local authorities open to all so that “ignite the embers of culture to illuminate the territory” in the words of Valérie Bulard.

