Inaugurated in the presence of Prince Rainier III and H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, the Atelier is the Monegasque company's workplace. Housed in a former 4000 m2 sawmill, it brings together dancers, artistic, technical and administrative teams under one roof. Two architects, Daniel Raymond and Sophie Nivaggioni, worked with Jean-Christophe Maillot to conceive and design the space, taking into account the extremely specific needs of the dancers and the various trades involved in the performing arts. After much thought and analysis, they came up with a balanced, functional space that reflects the company's image: straight, rigorous lines and ample, transparent volumes to remind everyone at all times that the Atelier is a place of hard work and technical expertise, but also a veritable laboratory for research and experimentation carried out by a group of people. The Atelier also had to be a place to live, a home: for the dancers, the workplace is their main home, where they are totally available to dance and live without counting their time. "Rigour, quality, performance and intelligence are demanded of them", emphasises Jean-Christophe Maillot, "In response to this demand, we had to give them the means to meet these requirements: comfort, ease, a place to relax, spacious rest and work areas... It's a definite luxury, but one that's tailored to them and to what's expected of them. As we all know, an 'athlete's' environment is one of the conditions for success. Finally, as the administrative, artistic and technical teams are centralised in the same 'territory', they can really work together. As a result, the Ballets are able to encapsulate a dual aspect of the Principality of Monaco: the stage where people shine, the spectacle, the pageantry and then the other, that of work, effort and rigour which testifies to the consideration the Monegasque government gives to those who contribute to its renown and carry its colours around the world. Atelier des Ballets de Monte-Carlo +377 97 70 65 20 www.balletsdemontecarlo.com