La Coursive is a performance hall and cultural center in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime. It has been classified as a Scène nationale since 1990 and its programming is dedicated to live performances. It is also one of two concert halls in the city, alongside La Sirène.
The building occupies a site with a long and varied history. Its hall resulted from the restructuring of the former Carmelite Fathers’ convent on rue Saint-Jean-du-Pérot, built in 1665. The site later became a tobacco factory during the French Revolution, then a customs warehouse from 1803. The property passed to the city of La Rochelle in 1842 and was transformed into a fish market hall in 1847, a function it kept for more than a century. Refurbished in 1950 as a sports hall, it was later intended to become a cultural center. In 1979, almost the entire structure was demolished except for the facade and interior cloister, and the building was completely rebuilt according to plans by Boutet, Guinut, Gonfreville, Goujon, and scenographer Igor Hilbert.
Nearby Objects
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Grosse Horloge 150 m away -
Musée maritime de La Rochelle 400 m away -
Église Saint-Sauveur 450 m away -
La Rochelle Cathedral 500 m away -
Aquarium de La Rochelle 550 m away
Performance Venue Status
La Coursive, also identified as a performance hall and cultural center in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, has been classified as a Scene nationale since 1990. Its programming is dedicated to live performances, placing it within the city's cultural infrastructure as a venue focused on stage-based events. It is also one of two concert halls in La Rochelle, alongside La Sirene.
From convent to cultural venue
La Coursive occupies a site with a long sequence of reuse and transformation on rue Saint-Jean-du-Perot. The hall originated in the restructuring of the former Carmelite Fathers' convent, built in 1665. During the French Revolution, it was turned into a tobacco factory, and from 1803 it served as a customs warehouse. In 1842, the buildings became property of the city of La Rochelle, which converted them into a fish market hall in 1847. This function lasted for more than one century.
In 1950, the buildings were refurbished again, this time to serve as a sports hall. By the late 1970s, the sports hall was intended to become a cultural center, but in 1979 the structure was largely demolished, with only the facade and interior cloister preserved. The building was then completely rebuilt in 1979 from plans by architects Boutet, Guinut, Gonfreville, Goujon, and scenographer Igor Hilbert. The new building made place for La Coursive, which became the Scène nationale of La Rochelle in 1990.