The Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers is renovating its iconic Grand Amphi lecture hall, a scientific and cultural heritage site that deserves to be showcased. The aim is to transform it into a technology forum.
A collective challenge aimed at preparing the next generation of industrialists
The goal is to make science and technology studies more attractive to young people in order to mitigate the looming "scissors effect." This effect is linked, on the one hand, to the demographic decline expected by 2035 and, on the other hand, to the increased need for engineers. There is a shortage of 25,000 engineers per year to reindustrialize France.
The campus's development strategy is based on a sustained effort to promote science and technology among young women (who currently represent 17% ofArts et Métiers student body) and first-time students from modest backgrounds who are aiming to obtain an engineering degree.
This fully reflects the DNA of Arts et Métiers its role in promoting social mobility. Special attention will be paid to young girls to encourage them to be bold, discover careers in industry, pursue scientific and technological studies, and move into this highly dynamic sector.
The campus is therefore an ideal setting for discovering and promoting careers in industry. Throughout the year, it already hosts numerous events designed to spark the curiosity and interest of young audiences: tours, conferences, activities as part of Science Day and Industry Week, themed evenings (conferences on space exploration, AI, low-carbon energy, etc.).
From the Grand Amphi to the Technology Forum
The campus is home to an iconic 150-year-old building, the Grand Amphi, adjacent to the Eiffel-style machine shop.
Initiated by the alumni community, the School and Prof. Féthi Ben Ouezdou, Director of the campus, launched an ambitious €3 million renovation project in 2024 to restore its prestige and turn it into the Aix-en-Provence version of the Technology Forum, planned for Liancourt, the birthplace of Arts et Métiers.
The Forum aims toimmerse visitors in the world of technology through iconic achievements led by alumni of the School and, above all, immersive experiences illustrating the future of innovation by 2050.
The renovated Grand Amphi will thus contribute to meeting a collective challenge that aims to prepare the future generation of industrialists.
A unique hub for the dissemination of scientific, technical, and artistic culture
This amphitheater boasts exceptional architecture and a seating capacity of 500, making it a unique venue located in the heart of Aix-en-Provence.
Careful consideration of its uses has enabled this building, an essential part of the Aix campus heritage, to be designed as a beautiful illustration of the link between the past and the future.
The aim is to make it, in addition to its uses related to the Technology Forum, a major venue for the dissemination of scientific, technical, and artistic culture for all the inhabitants of the Southern region.
Three complementary ambitions
- Educational ambition: to offer young audiences introductory courses in the form of immersive, life-size physical experiences and practical workshops. These will be designed to spark curiosity and encourage scientific vocations.
- Social and regional ambitions: to provide cultural and scientific facilities accessible to local schools, families, and members of the public who are not familiar with scientific culture, in particular through partnerships with schools and local associations;
- Cultural ambition: to offer a conference room linked to the Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Technology, and the Maison des Ingénieurs Arts et Métiers Jena. The ultimate ambition is to also make it a possible annex of the Collège de France, with inaugural lectures by eminent professors, intended for all audiences, which can be held in person or remotely.
The Technology Forum: an interactive journey based on the fun digital tool "Forindustrie, the Extraordinary Universe"
The Technology Forum, equipped with state-of-the-art digital representation tools (touch screens, models, and digital twins of industrial systems such as an aircraft engine, a helicopter transmission box, a small modular reactor (SMR), a fuel cell, and a wind turbine , etc.), will enable elementary, middle, and high school students visiting the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers to interact with these systems.
These interactions will be combined with a tour of the workshops and an introduction to the actual parts and components, as well as the machines used to manufacture them.
The educational aim of this is to combine the physical with the virtual and to plant seeds in the minds of young audiences to inspire them to pursue careers in engineering, a field that is in high demand in order to meet the challenges of France's reindustrialization.
A restored building, redesigned spaces
The restoration of the Grand Amphi respects the original architecture: the façade has been preserved, and the roof structure has been completely renovated, with the removal and replacement of the wooden coffered false ceiling.
Inside, the following will be created:
- a large multi-purpose hall (400 m²) equipped with the latest immersive and co-modal technology innovations
- an exhibition and demonstration space
- a 500-seat conference hall,
- offices, a storage area, and technical spaces.
Already major sponsors for this project
The campus is seeking financial support from sponsors in order to preserve and enhance this amphitheater.
The fundraising campaign among alumni, launched in 2017, has raised €287k by the end of 2024.
Since January 2025, €110k has been raised, mainly from companies, thanks to a fundraising campaign launched by the Campus Director.
Two corporate pledges have been recorded.
The industrial group Parlym is the first major sponsor of the project to have made its donation, followed by the CSTI group and the company Aramine.
This type of partnership brings the industrial and academic worlds closer together, promoting scientific literacy and inspiring future generations of engineers to take an interest in industrial technologies and professions. It is a cultural, social, and strategic investment that reflects the company's social responsibility.
Work completed since 2023
In addition to the building security measures implemented since the beginning of 2025, cleaning operations have been carried out by campus staff. The roof on the machining hall side has been completely renovated.
In August 2025, access to the upper floor was secured by installing a new floor, and the entrance porch has been sealed.
The diagnosis of bleachers, received in October 2025, confirms the load capacity of 500 kg/m². Therefore, no reinforcement measures are required.
The renovation of the rainwater downspouts and dolphin heads is the subject of educational projects by second-year PGE students. Their work involves digitization, followed by the creation of a model and casting at the campus foundry.
Next steps
- Launch of the consultation phase for the selection of a project manager for weatherproofing with conditional tranches before the end of 2025.
- Work on the roof structure and roofing will begin in 2026.
The project in figures
- Total project cost: €3 million
Project financing requirements:
Phase 1: Securing the building
Phase 2: Weatherproofing (framework, roofing, and door and window frames): €670k.
Phase 3: Interior renovation (insulation, decor, etc.): €900k
Phase 4: Exterior renovation of the stone building: €900k
Phase 5: Immersive, holographic, and real-time streaming equipment: €500kFunding shortfall for phase 2: €250k
Projected date for phase 2: 2026
