ISSUE #1 - December 2025

Spaces

Places where the party begins to take shape before it even starts: spaces designed to evoke emotion, encourage enthusiasm, and foster connection. Here, architecture becomes an experience, reinventing the way we celebrate. For this inaugural edition, we head to Paris, where a unique project transforms a legendary former club into an immersive stage—a place where everyone can experience their own special moment.

Paris is a celebration. Chante! is set to make it even more vibrant.

Since 24 November, Paris has been resonating to the sound of Chante!, a unique immersive experience dedicated to singing and the stage. The former China Club, transformed into a live-music temple near Bastille, now offers Parisians and visitors the opportunity to experience their own concert. We take a look behind the scenes of this daring project.

A meeting, a shared passion, a desire to create

It all began ten years ago at Unibail. Olivia and Matthieu Nicoletti met in a world where designing venues means telling a story and creating emotions. “We grew up in an environment where spaces vibrate, where they tell a story,” says Matthieu. Their bond is fuelled by a consuming passion for music, concerts and the energy of live performances. They love to sing and party. “We had wanted to create something together for a long time,” he continues.

The idea came naturally: what if they created a venue centred around music? A space where technology would amplify the sensory dimension, where everyone could experience what it’s like to be on stage? “To offer people the chance to experience emotions,” sums up Matthieu. The project quickly crystallised around singing, that universal and liberating act.

Testing to build better

Olivia and Matthieu took the time to observe and analyse. Secret Cinema in London, Sleep No More in New York: these immersive formats inspired them. But between intuition and reality, calibration was essential: how long should the experience last? What lighting? Who is the target audience?

To validate their concept, they organised a first full-scale test in a Parisian theatre. The audience’s reaction reassured them: the experience generated a special, palpable energy. This first milestone gave them the foundation they needed to move forward. They refined their vision and explored new avenues. Finding the perfect venue became a priority.

When they discovered the former China Club on Rue de Charenton, it was obvious: the building had the necessary potential. “An extraordinary place,” recalls Matthieu. The adventure could truly begin.

Surround yourself with the best, create in harmony

For Chante!, Matthieu and Olivia selected their partners according to precise criteria: fit, commitment and intuitu personae. “We surrounded ourselves with the best,” says Olivia.

Tetro, the agency behind the spectacular ABBA Voyage show in London, immediately joined the project. They designed the entire script for the experience: the gamification, the triggered events, the surges of adrenaline.

Dev Gupta, from GCG Architects, knows the former China Club intimately. “It was our canteen, opposite the offices where it all began with Olivia Charpentier and Alexandre Goulet,” he confides.

Kollectors handled the technical aspects: lighting for the lobby, bar and lounge areas, integrated LED fixtures in handrails and other elements to create a mysterious atmosphere. “We were completely on the same page from the start,” adds Olivia Nicoletti. This human chemistry became the creative driving force behind the project.

Transforming a legendary venue into an immersive experience

The former China Club holds a special memory for the team. Dev Gupta was a regular visitor: this landmark in Paris’s 12th arrondissement had a unique soul that had to be respected and preserved. GCG Architectes is leading the transformation, a project as complex as it is enjoyable, blending technology and aesthetics.

“Acoustic boxes that are complicated to implement and technologically complex,” explains Dev. Stage monitors, synchronised lighting, smoke effects: everything must work together to create the illusion of a concert. The agency is working to tight deadlines. Prefectural authorisation will not arrive until October, but the teams are advancing enthusiastically. “As an agency, we know how to work on projects with very tight constraints,” emphasises Dev Gupta.

Each area of the venue has a specific role: dressing rooms for preparation with a vocal coach, a high-tech stage facing a crowd animated by AI, and a bar-restaurant for debriefing. The experience lasts one hour of immersion and performance, extended by a convivial moment. The former China Club is reborn in a new form.

An experience that goes (far) beyond karaoke

Chante! is not a classic karaoke. Here, you experience a full concert. “We’ve done something new with existing ingredients,” explains Olivia.

The participant takes centre stage: choice of song, vocal warm-up, advice from the coach, then entrance on stage. The digital crowd reacts in real time, applauding and encouraging. “The initial feedback has been amazing,” says Olivia.

Costumes, stage impact, coaching: everything contributes to immersion. Attention to detail in lighting and sound elevates the experience. In the bar afterwards, the excitement continues as people chat and laugh. The promise is fulfilled: a real stage experience, accessible to all.

Paris is a party, Chante! takes it one step further

“Paris is a party,” says Matthieu, echoing Hemingway. “A city that vibrates everywhere. At our level, we want to make it vibrate a little more.” Chante! integrates itself into Parisian life with a clear ambition: to create a place that reflects the founding couple. A space where celebration becomes a form of self-expression, where everyone can embody the star they carry within them.

The project is progressing methodically: this first 400 m² version in Paris, with its two bars, is an evolving prototype. “We listen to our customers and make adjustments,” explains Olivia. The team is already on the lookout for other venues. Because beyond technology and architecture, Chante! is based on a deep conviction: celebration is a collective emotion that is carefully crafted.

In this former nightlife hotspot, a new chapter is being written. A chapter where anyone can take to the stage and enjoy a memorable experience, “from 7 to 107 years old,” confirms Olivia.