The Maison de la Culture d’Amiens was inaugurated on March 19, 1966 by the Minister of Cultural Affairs, André Malraux. It was the first building constructed specifically for this purpose. More than just a theater, it is a meeting place for the arts, hosting exhibitions, concerts, and screenings, as well as a large audience thanks to its media library. The team of architects assembled for the project included Pierre Sonrel, a specialist in theatrical matters, and his partner Jean Duthilleul, the local architect Marcel Gogois, and the set designer Camille Demangeat, assisted by André Cadaes who oversaw the construction. Strongly supported by Malraux and Emile Biasini, responsible for the theater at the ministry, the designers developed an architecture of great formal simplicity and constructive rigor. The almost abstract building will be animated by various devices such as the “mushroom” in the lobby and the regular presence of works of art.
Restructured and enlarged in 1993, the Maison de la Culture has changed its appearance while retaining its original structure. As a preview of the retrospective exhibition of its 60 years, the conference invites you to rediscover remarkable architecture and a remarkable work tool.
The speakers: Xavier Dousson (architect and historian, ENSA Paris Val de Seine) and Simon Texier (art historian, UPJV) are the curators of the exhibitions to be held jointly at the CIAP and the MCA from March to September 2026. As teachers and researchers, specialists in 20th century architecture, they have designed and carried out numerous exhibitions.
