Gaston Berger Auditorium

With the grand Gaston Berger Auditorium at INSA, Lyon, coming under scrutiny due to its ageing interior and its poor acoustics, Linda Aydostian swooped in to give it the complete restoration it deserved. Her big mission – focus on creating excellent acoustic comfort. The curved nature of the ceiling, which had to be maintained, made this mission a challenging one. Standard demountable ceilings on a T-grid system were an impossible solution due to the complex curvature of the ceiling, whilst square 600 x 600 mm panels would provide a rather poor and uninspiring design. The solution to these problems were found in the strong acoustic performance that Tectopanel with Micro perforations offered, in addition to its flexibility and timeless design. These panels were produced in a rectangular size in accordance to Linda’s specifications in order to create the unique perspectives and visual flow combined with the wood paneled walls. Additionally, the ability to easily curve these panels on-site according to the custom shapes, as well as easily mount them, made the whole process easier. The white reflective surfaces of the Tectopanel panels added to the modern visual appeal of this newly restored auditorium, whilst providing its users with an airy and bright environment to learn.

The auditorium named Gaston Berger is located in the heart of the University Campus of Lyon in the town of Villeurbanne and belongs to the INSA (Institut National des sciences appliquées). Build in 1962 by the architect Perrin-Fayolle « Grand-prix de Rome in Architecture », the building is a symbol of modernism. With 350 people capacity, the auditorium is a place of teaching but also of conferences, seminaries, meetings,… All the technical devices were obsoletes, no important renovation has been realised for years. The project supported by the INSA aimed to renew the auditorium entirely and to find back the initial atmosphere of the place. The french architect Linda Aydostian, choose to renew the auditorium with fine and natural materials, but she also advice to keep and renew the original furniture which was of solid composition. All the technical devices have been replaced, a dual flow ventilation with heating system has been also created. The original walls made of chipboard and narrow panels have been replaced buy naturals wood panels and wood acoustic walls keeping the global orignal design.

The difficult point of the project was the replacement of the suspended ceilling. The original ceiling was made of metallic panels which bend easily to fit closely the typical shape of the concrete roof. The solution was to use perforated plasterboard (Tectopanel design Knauf) fixed on the existing ceiling wood structure. This was also a good answer to keep the acoustic performance of the auditorium. The principal lights have been replaced buy Etap’s leds modules and the originals drop shape lights were replaced by Metalete Nanit’s suspensions.