Our vision at La Cité Bleue is to explore the intersection of the arts and humanities through sound, movement, and performance. With our new Meyer Sound Constellation system, we gain a flexible acoustic foundation that supports everything from Baroque opera to immersive contemporary works. It opens doors we couldn’t have imagined before.”
Leonardo García-AlarcónArtistic Director, La Cité Bleue
Featured Products
750‑LFC, Constellation, Galileo GALAXY 816, MJF‑210, Spacemap Go, ULTRA‑X20, ULTRA‑X40, ULTRA‑X42, UPM‑1PGeneva’s newly reimagined La Cité Bleue has joined the portfolio of performance spaces around the world transformed by the Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system. Tonspur, Meyer Sound’s official distributor in Switzerland and Lichtenstein, imported the equipment and supported the Belgium-based integrator Inytium, who installed the system. Along with a Meyer Sound sound reinforcement system, Constellation provides a new level of acoustic flexibility to support the venue’s ambitious programming across music, theater, dance, and experimental performance.
Tonspur project manager Eddy Broquet recalls that even in its earliest stages—well before the pandemic—La Cité Bleue was focused on an active acoustic solution. “They visited other Constellation venues in Germany, and even after the pandemic slowed things down, they moved forward,” he explains. “It’s now the first system of its kind in Switzerland—and it’s already sparked interest from others.”
Housed in a steeply tiered hall with just a few rows of seating and a generously sized stage, La Cité Bleue was conceived not just as a performance venue, but as a platform for artistic inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration. Under the direction of Swiss-Argentine harpsichordist and conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón, the venue invites artists to challenge boundaries—blending music, theater, dance, and visual art in works that challenge convention and invite deeper emotional connection.
Designed to close the divide between performer and audience, the space emphasizes intimacy over grandeur. Its variable acoustics allow artists to shape the sonic environment to match the mood or message of each work. Whether hosting Baroque opera, physical theater, or immersive multimedia performances, La Cité Bleue supports a humanistic vision: one where technical precision, expressive clarity, and creative risk-taking are all given equal weight.
“They have a wonderful Baroque ensemble [Cappella Mediterranea], jazz musicians, drama programs—you name it. There’s nothing they can’t do in this room,” says John Pellowe, Meyer Sound’s project director, Constellation systems. “And with Constellation, they now have the acoustical flexibility to support it all.”
The complete Meyer Sound solution includes a Constellation system comprising 150 loudspeakers and 32 microphones. A new sound reinforcement system centers around ULTRA family compact point source loudspeakers, with two ULTRA‑X40, two ULTRA‑X42, and one ULTRA‑X20 per side, plus three 750‑LFC low-frequency control elements per side and four UPM‑1P ultracompact loudspeakers as front fills. Ten MJF‑210 high-power stage monitors support performers; everything is driven by two Galileo GALAXY 816 Network Platforms. Together, these systems allow La Cité Bleue to optimize its acoustics to suit a range of artistic formats—from early music recitals to chamber opera to spoken word.
Installation in the refurbished venue presented some architectural challenges. “It wasn’t possible to integrate all the microphones and loudspeakers as we would in a brand-new build,” Broquet explains. “We couldn’t integrate everything as we would in a new build, but we found good compromises—and it works very well in the space.”
La Cité Bleue incorporates Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool, expanding the venue’s capabilities for immersive and experimental work. The system enables artists to shape movement and perspective in real time, supporting everything from subtle ambient shifts to dramatic, spatialized storytelling. The project was nearly a decade in the making. Initial conversations began in 2015, with concept development continuing through site visits and planning phases across Europe. Although the pandemic slowed progress, the teams at Meyer Sound and Tonspur maintained a steady partnership with the venue’s leadership. The result is a system tailored not only to today’s needs but to future artistic explorations.
“Our vision at La Cité Bleue is to explore the intersection of the arts and humanities through sound, movement, and performance,” says Leonardo García-Alarcón, Artistic Director of La Cité Bleue. “With our new Meyer Sound Constellation system, we gain a flexible acoustic foundation that supports everything from Baroque opera to immersive contemporary works. It opens doors we couldn’t have imagined before.”