Work on the installation of the future MeM 2 marquee has been delayed, says Maël le Goff, project leader with the CPPC (Centre for the production of contemporary lyrics). Better soundproofed, it requires a building permit and should be set up for a longer lease than the current marquee.
“We know that the work on the future MeM 2 tent is behind schedule, so we prefer not to come back in six months with a new amendment”, explains Benoit Careil, deputy mayor, in charge of culture, in Rennes. The precarious Convention for the occupation of the public domain, which authorizes the MeM on the Piverdière site on the banks of the Vilaine, which initially ended on December 31, 2022, was extended by decree of the mayor until December 31, 2024.
“The MeM opened in 2019, recalls Benoit Careil. The 2020 and 2021 seasons were very disrupted by the Covid. Avoiding closure will allow it to get back on its feet in terms of investment. »
The new MeM 2 marquee was initially scheduled to open in the spring, a hundred meters further from the houses, then in the summer of 2023. “There was a period of doubt following the ousting of the CPPC (Centre de Production des Paroles Contemporaines) from the management of the Free Area room, indicates Benoit Careil. But the CPPCC’s determination to install a permanent performance venue is still there. » The project should be presented to elected officials in the coming weeks.
“We made mistakes with the first MeM”
The project, whose initial budget was 3 million euros, swells with inflation. “It is constantly evolving, the context is super complicated, confirms Maël Le Goff, director of the CPPC. This future building will be permanent and soundproofed at the level of the walls and the roof. It will remain removable, but it will not be a tent canvas. Its 29 meters in diameter will be surrounded by a 5 meter walkway, like a double skin. »
An annex building, to accommodate 150 catering places, is also planned. It will probably not be a glass roof, which presents a thermal insulation problem. When will it see the light of day? “As quickly as possible, but the challenge is a long-term implementation of the project. You have to take the time not to make mistakes. The first MeM was installed in eight months. We made mistakes, we will avoid pitfalls for the second. »
“We add to it, while in June 2022 during the Big Love festival at the MeM, a study by the city’s health service confirmed the noise pollution”, recall the residents, who filed a complaint in June. “We are going to relaunch sound measurements on evenings chosen with local residents, indicates Benoit Careil. And there will be no more MeM 1 partnerships with electronic music associations. »
The promoters of the MeM 2 project are applying for a building permit for a sustainable installation. “The lease will therefore be longer to help amortize the investment for this place of cultural diffusion, appreciated by the people of Rennes, emphasizes the deputy mayor. But the building permit will only be granted if the project presents guarantees in terms of tranquility, even if it will never be perfect. »
