malka architecture 'explodes' brick backdrop to le paname comedy club in paris

malka architecture, led by stéphane malka, has renovated the interiors of a comedy club and restaurant in paris. le paname is one of the french captial’s most influential comedy venues and is located in the 11th arrondissement of the city, near the canal saint-martin. as many comedy clubs had origins in the neglected urban neighborhoods of new york and chicago, the brick walls of the venues became the ubiquitous backdrop to many stand up performances.

with the interiors of le paname, malka architecture re-imagines the signature brick wall as an undulating, warped façade that appears to rupture at its center to reveal the name of the venue. ‘it is an accumulation of single brick units rather than a unique wall, a timeline of a progressive urban chaos, from alignment to total explosion,’ the design team explains. ‘moreover, it is the physical representation of the fourth wall’s dissolution, where urbanity blasts and mankind remain at the center of the scene’s vortex.’

the architects say that the project is a direct descendant of the set designs of the italian renaissance. thanks to a mirror that creates a dynamic sequence of reflections, this project also allows for multiple perspectives with endless views. ‘original and innovative, this contemporary theater typology breaks the ancestral ‘fourth wall’, an imaginary line between the actors and the audience, by addressing and interacting directly with the audience while respecting new social distancing rules,’ says malka architecture.

project info:

name: le paname
location: 11th arrondissement of paris, france
architect: malka architecture
client: paname art café
status: completed september 2020
program: comedy club including a restaurant, bar, exhibition space