The Rotondes site will gain an additional 2,000m² once the multi-phase construction project has been completed. Rotonde 1 was already fully renovated in 2015, but as part of the current large-scale works, this building is also undergoing further improvements. Windows are being doubled, and storage areas and technical spaces are being expanded, which are changes that will largely go unnoticed by the public.
At present, Rotonde 2 houses only the bar area and the club, both of which will remain. But once the project is completed, the building will have four floors in total. On the ground floor, a large central space will be added, designed to be used in multiple ways and, above all, to accommodate a significantly larger number of visitors. Half of the floor area will be kept open for major events.
Further inside Rotonde 2, a series of modular boxes will be constructed across the new floors, housing, among other things, offices, studios for Radio Ara, rehearsals, and creative rooms, as well as conference halls. The top floor will feature a rooftop level, offering views down into the building’s lower floors as well as a full 360-degree view of the neighbourhood through its windows.
The third phase concerns the central pavilion situated between the two Rotondes. Here, an entirely new structure will replace the current container units. A restaurant with a panoramic terrace will be added, while the existing BlackBox will remain in place.
A central reception area will be created, serving both as an information point for all matters related to the Rotondes and as a waiting area for school groups attending performances in the BlackBox. The forecourt will also be redesigned and newly landscaped.
The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2028. As the works are divided into several phases, the Rotondes’ programming will continue, with only partial adjustments, and the site will remain as accessible as possible throughout the construction period.
Read also: From steam to stage: A look back at Rotondes’ transformation from 1875 to national monument
