Jean Nouvel, architect of the new Philharmonie de Paris, became a media sensation after he boycotted the opening of his own building. However, it seems as if he isn’t satisfied with just that. Nouvel has applied for a court order so that his name and image are removed from anything associated with the Philharmonie.
Nouvel is not seeking damages or compensations from the venue but hopes, according to Slipped Disc, to ensure "modifying work" is carried out at 26 locations that are "non-compliant" with his original design. He also asked that they do not associate his name or image with the hall.
The drama started after the long awaited Philharmonie de Paris had finally opened, despite seven long years of delays and budget issues. Nouvel decided to boycott the opening, stating that the project wasn’t finished yet. He believed the concert hall had opened too early, without a proper test of the acoustics.
“Today, the Philharmonie de Paris opens. Too early. The building is not finished. There were no acoustic tests of the concert hall,” he said in a statement. “The schedule did not allow the architectural and technical requirements to be respected. This despite all the warnings which I have been giving since 2013.”
The Philharmonie de Paris cost 386 million euro ($455 million) and had its fair share of issues throughout its inception. The hall was meant to open up two years ago and the budget for the 2,400 seat concert hall tripled during its creation. Some blame Novel for the issues surrounding the hall, however, he fought back with a column in French newspaper Le Monde.
“I affirm that in no case was I at the origin of any cost overrun on this project. The public report of Cour des Comptes of February 2012 evokes “poor piloting”, “many delays related to the fluctuations of the public arbitrations” which “obviously influenced the cost of the operation,” he said.
As of now, there is no more news on Nouvel’s court order.
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