Digital Culture Center in Paris
La Gaite Lyrique is Paris’ first and only digital culture center spread out over a total of seven floors (the top two are private) including three performance halls, exhibition spaces, a shop, an internet-cafe and gaming area, and two cafes, one located in a gorgeous historic salon. The building itself is actually an 18th century theater hall which, after years of destruction, sacking, and re-purposing, has an interesting blend of super-modern architecture and elegant facades and halls which hearken back to the Belle Epoque.
If you’re going to be in the city for more than a few days, make sure to check out La Gaite Lyrique’s program schedule online; they have a regular schedule of exhibits, concerts, talks, and events which make for a good excuse to come and explore the space for an afternoon. One of the more interesting parts of La Gaite Lyrique is the resource center in the back…think of it as a traditional library updated for the 21st century. In addition to books and newspapers, you also have gaming stations, recommended blogs, new music, and tons of resources dedicated to modern urban and online culture.