We conceived the new “Bateau Feu” as an open urban venue and as a structuring civic building on the “Place du Général de Gaulle” square. The renovated theatre is an unified building that is arranged in steps that descend to the square in a succession of light, vibrant volumes from the stage-house to the foyer. On the south, the theatre “enters the city”, welcoming the public in the flow of spaces designed on the urban site. The open entrance foyer is in dialogue and spatially connected with the large hall “à l’italienne”, the café bar, the bookshop and the lounge areas. The successive setbacks of stepped volumes reveal a series of large illuminated “frames” that face towards the square. The facades are made of a perforated metal cladding in a range of luminous ochre tones which matches the magic of the theatre.