12 years in planning and development since the original idea was first mooted in 1992, the Centre National de la Danse (CND) is a new French state establishment devoted entirely to dance. Housed in a former municipal administrative building, the architects in charge of its refurbishment, Antoinette Robain and Claire Guieyesse, were briefed to renovate the structure and to adapt the space to meet the needs of the CND. Arranged around the dominating presence a concrete central staircase, are 11 dance studios, a specialized media archive, an exhibition hall, a dance cinematography area and the CND. Together with conference halls, study rooms and meeting rooms, in all comprising 7,000sq.m of working space, more than 200 choreographic artists and students, as well as numerous members of the public are welcomed daily.
The location close by the Parc de la Vilette in Pantin, Paris was deliberately selected to allow CND to develop important relationships with neighbouring cultural institutions - the City of Music, the National Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the Grand Halle, the City of Sciences and Industry.
(Lee Baldock)
