“It’s prettier like this, it seems bigger than before!”
Ah, but they took out the spiral stairs on the sides and broke down all those walls… That’s probably why.”
In Brest (Finistère), that's all we've been talking about for three days, notably at the entrance to Gros Quartz, the new bar-restaurant (110 seats) by cook and culinary columnist Antony Cointre, which opened its doors at the same time than those on the national scene.
Between this Friday, January 19, the day when the artists, associations, institutions and associates of all kinds of the place were able to discover the Quartz 2.0 in preview and the weekend which has just passed, where the general public was able to enjoy open days and activities of all kinds to reclaim these approximately 20,000 m², completely redesigned and renovated, several thousand visitors have already set foot on the floors of the first national stage in the province (in terms of attendance – 200,000 per year – and subscriptions).
A moment eagerly awaited by the people of Brest and the Bretons, who were forced to leave this building which also hosts festivals and congresses, throughout the year, for two entire seasons.
Large and small theater
Completely redesigned, and even larger in its new configuration, the Quartz exceeded the 20 million euros budget (
20% of which was financed by the State – the first cultural project to receive this much funding in the region for the year 2023
).
“The overall project cost exactly 23.2 million euros,” explains Réza Salami, deputy mayor in charge of culture and delegated advisor to the Brest metropolis.
Including 4.5 million euros by the State, 13 million euros by Brest Métropole, 3.2 million euros by the Brittany region, 1.5 million euros by the department of Finistère and 1 million euros by Brest'Aim , Brest Métropole equipment management structure.
Since April 2021, the premises of the national scene have begun their deconstruction, then their metamorphosis.
The Grand Théâtre, which has 1,500 seats, is to date the largest theater in the province.
It is supported by a smaller one, which has 750 seats - without forgetting the Méridienne, a large hall which can host concerts or other events, or even large open spaces under giant glass roofs, open to all types of proposals.
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“Inaugurated in 1988, Le Quartz replaced the former Palais des Arts et de la Culture (PAC), destroyed by a devastating fire in 1981 - then became Scène nationale in 2001,” recalls Réza Salami.
“It is a place of importance for Brest and its inhabitants, particularly since the post-war period, which saw the city of Ponant completely destroyed.”
The programming will continue, “as before,” in the coming days.
The new team in place (
45 employees in total
), since the hasty departure of its director, Maïté Rivière (
for “disagreement with the team”
), who replaced Matthieu Banvillet during the Covid19 pandemic and therefore from the start of the work , is currently led by the interim director, Paul-Jacques Hulot, and his general secretary, Diane Courvoisier.
“The new management of Quartz will be announced at the end of February – beginning of March,” explains Réza Salami.
The jury will be made up of financial partners, the State, the Metropolis, the region, the department and Brest'Aim.