From 3 July 2026 to 17 January 2027, the Le Corbusier Site in Firminy will be the setting for an immersive experience: SOLAIRE, a sensory odyssey. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of UNESCO listing and the 20th anniversary of Saint-Pierre Church, Döppel Studio (Lionel Dinis Salazar and Jonathan Omar) has been given carte blanche to create a project in which the solar cycle becomes the driving force behind a revival of Corbusian thought.

The gnomon: from measuring instrument to architectural symbol 

At the heart of the project lies an archetypal figure: the gnomon. This archaic scientific instrument—a simple vertical rod that measures time through the projection of shadows—is reinterpreted here as a totemic ceramic column. The gnomon transcends its mathematical function to become a sensory device. It acts as a technological mediator capable of translating the immaterial — light, time, cycles — into a physical experience for the visitor.

A sensory journey in three stages

The exhibition offers a multidimensional interpretation of time through installations that transform raw concrete into a living surface:

Condensed time (Saint-Pierre Church): an immersive six-stage journey simulates a complete ‘cosmic day’. From awakening (dawn and daybreak) with its bluish hues to the mystery of night, the totems diffuse light, mist and sounds, offering an accelerated metamorphosis of the interior space.
Real time (Maison de la Culture): the experience becomes participatory with the installation of ‘the gnomon man’. In front of the Maison de la Culture, visitors use their own bodies as the gnomon of a giant sundial to inhabit the space and become aware of the sun’s actual path.
Night-time: echoing the installation, a special lighting display of the Unité d’Habitation created by Studio Rich and artist Bruno Peinado in 2020 extends the reflection beyond dusk, offering a dreamlike vision of the roof terraces.

The science of design: from model to space

The exhibition is not limited to perception; it also reveals its own engineering. An educational room showcases the creative process, from plaster moulds to study models, revealing the technical complexity required to ‘bring in the sun’, which Le Corbusier considered the architect’s imperative duty.

SOLAIRE is an odyssey that connects humanity to the cosmos, transforming a heritage tour into a physical and poetic observation of the laws of the universe. By transforming raw concrete into a living surface, Döppel Studio reminds us that “introducing the sun is the architect’s most imperative duty”.