Building Bastille

Potężny budżet, niezwykłe wyzwanie projektowe, wycieńczający deadline, dwóch zwalczających się tytanów francuskiej polityki i architekt, który nigdy niczego nie wybudował. Co może pójść nie tak? Jest potencjał, że wszystko…

In 1982, French President François Mitterrand announced an international competition for the design of a modern Bastille Opera House to be built on the site of the famous prison. The jury selected a design, believing it to be by Richard Meier. However, the winner was a completely unknown Canadian architect, Carlos Ott. The film takes us behind the scenes of this comical story of the greatest case of mistaken identity in modern architectural history.

“Building the Bastille” reminds us of the strong connection between architecture and power. Even before the first shovel hits the ground, the opera house becomes a tool for historical politics for both Mitterrand and his rival, Jacques Chirac. As the postmodern Bastille rises skyward, social tensions grow not only among politicians but also on the streets of Paris. The temple of art, which was supposed to be an “opera for the people,” arouses more controversy than enthusiasm, and its futuristic form seems to say more about political ambitions than about the cultural needs of society.

Will its grand opening on the anniversary of the French Revolution mean the democratization of culture that Mitterrand dreamed of, or will it remain an aristocratic fantasy, realized at the expense of the residents of the working-class district?

The show is produced in cooperation with the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning.