The Maison de la Culture de Grenoble, commonly called MC2, is a public venue for public events located on the Avenue Marcellin-Berthelot in

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

History

Built by

André Wogenscky André Wogenscky (1916 - 2004) was a French Modernist architect — and member of the Académie des beaux-arts. 20th-century French architects Modernist architects 1916 births 2004 deaths People from Remiremont Members of the Acadé ...

on the occasion of the Olympics, MC2 was inaugurated on 3 February 1968 by

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed by P ...

, Minister of Cultural Affairs and the father of the concept of houses of culture. The following year, in April 1969, another major cultural institution in the city, the

Conservatory of Grenoble The Conservatoire de Grenoble, in French Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Grenoble is a Chartered artistic institution controlled by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, represented by the Regional Directorate of cultural Affairs (D ...

was installed close to the Maison de la Culture. In the 1980s the building was called "Le Cargo". The Maison de la Culture has been called MC2 since 17 September 2004 when it reopened after extensive rehabilitation and expansion at a cost of €38 million, covered 42.3% by the city, 40% by the state, 10.7% by the department and 8% by the Region. The MC2 has four auditoriums, two of which can seat 1,000 people. The main hall, which is lined with wood paneling, was built during the renovation work to replace a rotating theatre. It can host a wide range of events and orchestral formations. While this work was being undertaken, shows were played outside the walls. Attendance after the expansion has reached 100,000 spectators per year.

Operations

The MC2 is a "public institution of cultural cooperation" (établissement public de coopération culturelle) funded by the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) *Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

, the City of Grenoble and the

Isère Isère ( , ; frp, Isera; oc, Isèra, ) is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.Jean-Claude Gallotta Jean-Claude is a French masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Jean-Claude Ades, an Italian electronic music producer * Jean-Claude Alibert (died 2020), a French racing driver * Jean-Claude Amiot (born 1939), a French compos ...

, the Alpine National Drama Centre led by

Jacques Osinski Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

, and

Les Musiciens du Louvre Les Musiciens du Louvre (literally ''The Musicians of the Louvre'') is a French period instrument ensemble, formed in 1982. Originally based in Paris, since 1996 it has been based in the Couvent des Minimes in Grenoble. ''The Guardian'' considers ...

led by

Marc Minkowski Marc Minkowski (born 4 October 1962) is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works, and is the current general director of Opéra national de Bordeaux. His mother, Mary Anne (Wade), i ...

. In 2010, the institution's budget was 9.3 million euros per year. The premises are designed to accommodate a variety of events. Since 2007 the Estates General of the Renewal are organised in January by the newspaper ''

Libération ''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France's ...

''. Nearly 20,000 people attended the debate every year.

Rooms

* 1,028-seat hall *Auditorium with 998 seats *Room with 244 seats * room *Theater rehearsal studio *Two dance studios and a recording studio.

References

{{Authority Control Theatres in France 1968 establishments in France Buildings and structures in Grenoble