Théâtre Impérial

Fontainebleau, France

After the Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles, where Sébastien Jouan and Theatre Projects acoustics team had the privilege of carrying out an extensive acoustic measurement campaign in 2015, another iconic French heritage venue has recently been the focus of acoustic investigations: the Imperial Theatre of the Château de Fontainebleau.

Built under Napoleon III and beautifully restored in 2011 after more than 150 years of closure to the public, the theatre is an exceptional example of 19th-century theatre architecture and acoustics. Better understanding its acoustic characteristics is essential not only for advancing scientific knowledge, but also for supporting its long-term conservation and enhancement. Heritage is not only what we see. Its acoustics are also part of its identity and deserve to be understood, documented and preserved.

This new measurement campaign continues the collaboration between Studio Jouan and the LAM - Institut d'Alembert (CNRS – Sorbonne Université). Following our joint work in 2023 on the Hall Napoléon beneath the Louvre Pyramid, we were delighted to continue this partnership at the Imperial Theatre of the Château de Fontainebleau. The campaign was carried out under the direction of Dr Brian FG Katz, a regular external consultant of Studio Jouan and an internationally recognised academic researcher in particular for his work in room acoustics, including his research on Notre-Dame de Paris.

Team: Brian FG Katz, Charlotte Fernandez PhD researcher at LAM, Alonso Varela Greenawalt and Sébastien Jouan.

Client: Château de Fontainebleau

Year: 2026