The Beautiful Symmetry of Grand Theaters Captured from Center Stage

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Gilles Alonso is a 43-year-old professional architectural photographer based in Lyon, France. For his recent project “Symétrie du Spectacle” (“Symmetry Show”), Alonso visited a large number of grand theaters and photographed the hall from center stage. The images capture the beautiful symmetry and grandeur of these spaces.

The photograph above is of the Dome in Albertville, France.

“I have long wanted to undertake a series on the theme of symmetry,” Alonso says. Theaters were a perfect subject for this theme, as their designs are guided by similar constraints. The architects and designers all think about things like sound propagation, the ability to see the stage, and quick access to exits.

“[It’s a strange] paradox to see the live show, [the] image of freedom and non-conformism, be conducted in a rigorous setting, very mathematical,” says the photographer. “Whether one is in Italian theater with all its pomp, or in a simple, modern auditorium, the common point will always be this symmetry.”

By photographing the details of these halls, Alonso hopes to show how architects manage to give these buildings very unique feels despite the constraints.

Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelone
Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelone
Bourse du travail in Lyon
Bourse du travail in Lyon
TNP in Villeurbanne
TNP in Villeurbanne
Les Subsistances in Lyon
Les Subsistances in Lyon
Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon
Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon
Théâtre des Variétés in Béziers
Théâtre des Variétés in Béziers
Maison de la Danse in Lyon
Maison de la Danse in Lyon
Auditorium Saint-Pierre des Cuisines in Toulouse
Auditorium Saint-Pierre des Cuisines in Toulouse
Théâtre du Gymnase in Marseille
Théâtre du Gymnase in Marseille
Palau Música Catalana in Barcelone
Palau Música Catalana in Barcelone
Auditorium in Dijon
Auditorium in Dijon
Casino-théâtre in Aix les Bains
Casino-théâtre in Aix les Bains
Grand théâtre in Genève
Grand théâtre in Genève
Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence
Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence
Opéra in Clermont-Ferrand
Opéra in Clermont-Ferrand
Opéra in Lyon
Opéra in Lyon
Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris
Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris
Théâtre du Trianon in Paris
Théâtre du Trianon in Paris
Opéra Berlioz in Montpellier
Opéra Berlioz in Montpellier
Théâtre de la Comédie in Saint-Etienne
Théâtre de la Comédie in Saint-Etienne
Auditorium Nouveau Siècle in Lille
Auditorium Nouveau Siècle in Lille
Salle Erasme in Strasbourg
Salle Erasme in Strasbourg
Salle Molière in Lyon
Salle Molière in Lyon
Auditorium in Lyon
Auditorium in Lyon
La Grange du Lac in Evian
La Grange du Lac in Evian
Opéra in Dijon
Opéra in Dijon
Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon
Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon
Amphithéâtre de le Cité Internationale in Lyon
Amphithéâtre de le Cité Internationale in Lyon
Opéra in Lille
Opéra in Lille
Théâtre Dullin in Chambéry
Théâtre Dullin in Chambéry
Opera in Vichy
Opera in Vichy

Image credits: Photographs by Gilles Alonso and used with permission

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