Le Centquatre cultural arts centre in Paris
Sometimes known as the 104, which is what cent quatre means in French, this is a unique cultural centre of artistic creativity with exhibition spaces, auditoriums, restaurants and more in a renovated historical building.
About Le Centquatre
The Centquatre was named this due to its location, and when you look back at the history of the Centquatre building, you will discover that it is located in what used to be the old municipal funeral services building, with the address being 104 Rue d’Aubevilliers.
It is a unique cultural arts centre that was inaugurated in the October of 2008 and spread over an area of approximately 39,000 metres squared, it is home to resident artists, artists workshops, two theatres, restaurants and more.
The whole concept was to provide a centre of creativity for all different forms of arts such as performing arts like dance and music through fine arts, painting, design, etc, so there is always something for anyones interests whether it be photography, fashion, film, literature and much, much more to be discovered.
So with this in mind there are always temporary exhibitions that you can discover plus you can often see work in progress from the resident artists who open up their workshops to the public.
You will also find that there are two auditoriums and one has 200 seats, whereas the other has 400 and there is a full and very varied programme of shows, plays and festivals that take place in these throughout the year.
Yet Le Centquatre also provides guided and historical tours, which allows you to discover more about the origins of the building, such as where the original stables were in the basement, that have now been changed to exhibition spaces.
And you will always find something different happening at the 104, which, as we mentioned earlier, is what Cent Quatre translates to, and all within the building protected by a glass ceiling, that was classified as an historical monument in Paris back in 1997.
Visiting Le Centquatre in Paris
You will find the 104 located in the 19th Arrondissement and it is open on a Tuesday to Friday from noon until 7pm, yet on a weekend it opens from 11am and closes at 7pm, but it is closed on a Monday and on major National French holidays such as 1st January.
However, as you will no doubt have already read, there are two auditoriums and there are often evening performances, which means there is special access to these events and shows via the 5 Rue Curial entrance.
The ticket sales counter is open at the same times as the cultural centre, yet tickets cannot be purchased less than an hour before a performance, and tickets for the exhibitions and the shows do vary in cost depending upon the programming. However a ticket for a show provides you with the opportunity to get a discount to the exhibitions, and children under the age of six get free admission to exhibitions.
When it comes to the disabled, for people with reduced mobility, the ground floor is accessible to those with reduced mobility and wheelchairs and there are dedicated spaces within the auditoriums, but you would need to book this in advance. For those that are blind, there is an audio guide system in place along with multi-sensory kiosks dotted throughout the centre, and for those with hearing problems, you may be pleased to know that the auditoriums are equipped with induction loops.
Guided tours for groups are also available, although at present these are in French and do need to be booked at least one week in advance. However, there is a possibility of guided tours in other languages for a higher cost, and depending upon the type of tour, duration, etc, the costs do vary from around €75 up to €225.
Access to the Centquatre
Now when it comes to getting to the Centquatre via public transport in Paris, the nearest Metro stations are the Riquet stop via line 7, the Stalingrad stop serving lines 2, 5 and 7, the Marx Dormoy stop via line 12 or the Crimee stop serving line 7.
Alternatively, the Bus Lines 54 and 60 along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via Line N42 will also get you close by, plus there are Velib stations for the self service bike rental scheme nearby as well.
However, if you are travelling to or from this area of Paris by train, then the nearest RER train station is the Curial stop serving the RER E Line, and in addition to this, the Tramway via Line T3b will also get you within walking distance.
