Le Manège et Le Cirque

Designed by the town architect Narcisse Brunette in 1867, the Manège housed the stables which were needed for equestrian spectacles. It was also the place where the people of Reims came to take courses in gymnastics and horse riding until the end of the 1970s, a period during which the building was transformed into a bowling centre and then abandoned. From 1986 cultural events were held here, prefiguring the idea of renovating it to create a theatre, a transformation which was completed in 1991.
The Circus, whose architecture was inspired by that of the Cirque national in Paris, stands on three floors, in the shape of a polygon with 16 sides, 108 ft in diameter, and with a capacity of 1,200 spectators.