As part of the renovation work on the Esplanade in Montpellier, it is the turn of Kiosque Bosc to benefit from a boost in costs. Since the beginning of June, work lasting around a year, aimed at restoring its stage function, has begun.
The Kiosque Bosc, located on the Charles de Gaulle esplanade in Montpellier, should regain its stage function within a year. This new phase of work began at the beginning of June as part of the Comédie-Esplanade project. The latter aims to “make the esplanade a large park of arts and culture”, assures the Town Hall. One of the essential phases of this program consists of highlighting the historical heritage of Montpellier.
The transformations of the Kiosk
The entire monument will be restored in line with its initial appearance. First of all, the corner fountain of the kiosk must be rewatered. The original structures will be reinforced and the worn concrete restored. The same goes for the dressing rooms located in its basement. For a little greenery, the plant areas and the embankments will be recomposed with low vegetation in order to ensure better visibility of the monument and to highlight it. These spaces will match the new plant palette of the Esplanade. Finally, the Bosc Kiosk will regain its splendor with yesteryear lighting. The latter will be carried out in harmony with the other renovations of the Comédie-Esplanade project.
A little history
The Kiosque Bosc owes its name to its creator, Auguste Bosc, a music composer from Montpellier. In 1925, he thanked his hometown, which had awarded him a scholarship to the Paris Conservatory of Music, by building a bandstand there. To do this, he surrounded himself with the architect Elie-Marcel Bernard. The bandstand was one of the first examples of reinforced concrete construction in Montpellier. The musician Auguste Bosc inaugurated it himself in May 1927 during a concert that brought together more than 25,000 spectators.
In 2015, the monument was labeled “Remarkable Contemporary Architecture” by the Ministry of Culture, thanks to its quality of design and the skilful use of concrete by its designer.
As a reminder, the project to revalorize the Comédie-Esplanade heritage concerns other buildings. For example the floors of the Comédie, the Opera and the statues of the Esplanade.
Chloé Morand-Bridet (Toulouse Higher Institute of Journalism)
