14:55 Oct 6, 2011 

I know it need not, technically, but performance space sounds much more intimate to me - from small-scale theatre or dance space right down to back-of-a-pub type thing. There is, of course also the rather generic 'arts centre', though it wouldn't be my first choice for your terms.

14:43 Oct 6, 2011 

Thanks to everyone for all these ideas. There is plenty of food for thought.
As far as I can see from my text in which the number of seats are mentioned, size is irrelevant. I liked the idea of performance venue. It helped me out of a tricky spot. However, I do agree with the idea of the 'salle de représentation' being more 'intimist', even if I'm not quite sure how to get that across, when they both seat pretty much the same number of people. It's what they do in them that counts isn't it, and unfortunately the text doesn't go into that!

23:01 Oct 5, 2011 

1) Few French people have given any real thought to this issue. The two terms simply exist, and they are simply determined to use them both, not necessarily with any clear difference clearly in mind.
2) For those that HAVE given thought to the matter, it may relate to size. A salle de spectacle would be "spectacularly" large, à la Palais des Congrès in Paris, while a salle de représentation would be more "intimist", along the lines of some of those tiny little theatres in the Marais where if the people on stage get too energetic they can find themselves kicking the people in the back row in the nose.

18:18 Oct 5, 2011 

Another thought is "convention center" for salle de representation; depending on the size. Here in Portland, our convention center has many different sized rooms for various purposes. I agree that Theatre and Concert Hall are good options, but it depends on the overall context of the French. Maybe it's poorly written in French or lacks specificity.

14:25 Oct 5, 2011 

I guess it will depend on what the focus is. If they are talking about the buildings themselves, then your suggestions might be better, but if the focus is on what is done there, then maybe my ideas would work.

14:22 Oct 5, 2011 

I like Helen's suggestion, it is more all-encompassing and more modern too.

14:11 Oct 5, 2011 

I wonder if you could also use 'performance space' where appropriate or even 'performance venue' - just to mix it up a bit.

13:41 Oct 5, 2011 

I think the problem is that such places tend to be given a name, such as xxx Theatre (used for theatre, dance, music) or xxx Hall (also used for music, dance, theatre), depending on the historical emphasis. For instance you would go the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield mainly for plays, the Lyceum Theatre for plays and ballets, the City Hall for concerts (classical or rock, etc.). Lots of auditoria serve both, and many other, functions.

13:25 Oct 5, 2011 

I have salle de représentation and auditorium in one sentence as two separate things - yes, I could do that. However, for me concert hall (the ocncept is very variable) is quite a distance to what theatre brings to mind.

13:16 Oct 5, 2011 

I think they are used pretty interchangeably in French. If you need to make a difference you could call "salle de spectacle" an auditorium and "salle de représentation" a concert hall or theatre.