Inside the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris, the auditorium designed by Jean Nouvel features an Amadeus sound system and reveals a striking monochrome red architecture. Conceived as a space in constant transformation, it hosts performances, talks, screenings and hybrid forms where sound, image and presence intersect.
At its center, Le Studio Marie-Claude Beaud extends this vision. With a capacity of 110 seated or more than 300 standing, and a configuration that can shift between formats, the space invites a fluid relationship between audience and performance. Each arrangement redefines the listening conditions, requiring a system capable of adapting without compromising clarity or balance.
To support this versatility, Amadeus designed and deployed a compact, highly controlled system, developed within the architectural constraints of the room and positioned with precision to respond to its evolving uses.
The main system is built around a frontal L/C/R configuration using three Amadeus C12 loudspeakers. This approach ensures precise localization and stable imaging, particularly suited to speech and hybrid formats. The left and right loudspeakers are suspended from custom-designed tubular structures, designed to lower the acoustic image and better align the perceived sound with the stage, while a central C12 loudspeaker is flown from the ceiling.
Low-frequency support is provided by two Amadeus C12B bass complements placed on either side of the central channel, forming a coherent and visually unified arrangement. Because the C12B shares the same visual footprint as the C12, the three central elements appear identical when viewed from the audience.
To ensure consistent coverage throughout the auditorium, additional loudspeakers are distributed within the room. A first delay line of two C12 loudspeakers is installed at mid-hall, maintaining tonal coherence with the main system, while a second reinforcement line using compact Amadeus C6 loudspeakers provides additional clarity for the rear seating area and the control position. Particular attention was given to maintaining spectral and spatial coherence between the main system and the distributed loudspeakers, ensuring a consistent listening experience across all seating positions.
All loudspeakers are powered by Powersoft amplifiers and the entire system operates over a Dante audio network, ensuring reliability and precise control.
For specific programming such as film screenings requiring surround playback, the system can be temporarily extended with eight Amadeus C10 loudspeakers: three deployed on the left side, three on the right side, and two at the rear of the auditorium. In this configuration, additional mobile ABB18 subwoofers can also be introduced at floor level to provide dedicated low-frequency effects (LFE) support when required. This modular approach allows the auditorium to adapt to specific formats, extending the system when needed while preserving its core configuration for everyday use.
Custom suspension elements were designed and manufactured by Amadeus, with on-site calibration also carried out by the Amadeus team. The on-site installation and integration were carried out by Novelty, with particular attention paid to the architectural and visual constraints of the space.
As Ahmed Belgourch, Régisseur réseaux scéniques et espaces notes:
We are very satisfied with the quality of the Amadeus system, which provides a strong foundation to support the ongoing development of the auditorium.
The result is a controlled and coherent sound environment, designed to support the diversity of artistic expression while maintaining clarity, balance and precision.
