Espace Cardin, Paris. What better way to reclaim a style, as they say in the world of marketing, and to project an image of Parisian chic when it comes to events. A name, then. A place too, and a classy address, on the edge of the Champs-Élysées, a stone's throw from the Place de la Concorde, next to the well-guarded entrance to the American Embassy and the main entrance to the Élysée Palace.
Formerly the Théâtre des Ambassadeurs, taken over by Pierre Cardin at the turn of the 70s, the venue has retained its Italian-style auditorium. Red from floor to ceiling, the theatre is equipped with 673 comfortable seats, all with an excellent view of the stage. In addition to its cultural programme, the site is hired out as an auditorium for conventions, product presentations, concerts and private shows organised by companies. As the auditorium is equipped with high-tech equipment, NRJ presented the premiere of the film 'Avatar' in front of a select audience. But it's behind this theatre that the real heart of the Espace Cardin beats, in its large reception room whose size is multiplied by the mirrors placed on one of its sides.
White or orange, 70' trend
This immaculate 460 m2 space is offered as is to companies and event agencies, who can adapt it as they wish: in 2002, for the launch of another film, "Le Boulet", by Alain Berbérian and Frédéric Forestier, starring Gérard Lanvin and Benoît Poelvoorde, the production team recreated a desert, moving tonnes of sand, erecting a Bedouin tent, putting up palm trees and inviting camels! More reasonably, Audi unveiled some new vehicle models.
In contrast to the large windows opening onto the Avenue Gabriel, the exhibition room extends into a winter garden, more recently laid out under a long tent, complemented by a wooded terrace set in the pathways of the Champs-Élysées garden where smokers, always numerous during cocktails, dinners and other dance evenings, flock... One regret is the lack of height in the space, which was probably lowered when a multi-purpose room was created upstairs. As with the theatre, access is via large staircases flanked by sculptures, a reminder that the master of the house is also a collector of contemporary art.
With its unmistakably 70s architecture, this second rectangular room is undoubtedly the most beautiful in the Espace Cardin. The alveoli on its sides evoke the futuristic shapes so dear to the couturier, in the image of his Bulles palace built at the same time on the heights of Cannes. Yellow, orange and red spotlights highlight the dominant oval shapes. A ten-step staircase at one end of the room makes it a popular venue for fashion designers to stage their shows. It can also accommodate around fifty 9-12 m2 stands. The Buzzness Mobile trade show will be taking place here in November. As well as in the rest of the Espace Cardin, one of its strengths is that it has an auditorium and rooms of varying sizes to suit all requirements. Partial or total privatisation.
Practical information
Espace Cardin: 13, avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris Tel.: 01 42 66 69 20 Internet: www.pierrecardin.com/evenement.html
Basement: conference room.
Ground floor: theatre; cinema (two screens, 35mm and digital); 460 m2 exhibition room; marquee and garden: over 200 m2; rotunda: 150 m2.
First floor: 380 m2 multi-purpose room.
Capacity: 673 seats for the theatre; 450 for the cinema; 50 for the conference room; 400 people for the exhibition hall, 800 and more in the evening; 300 for the multi-purpose hall.
They include Randstad, Areva, Carré Blanc, NRJ, BNP Paribas, TEDX Paris, Ingenico, Vivendi, Microsoft, Buzzness Mobile, John Galliano...
