De l'invisible au visible

This project reintroduces a gong that disappeared from the Belvedere, the Gloriette de Buffon, one of the first metallic architectural structures in the world. The story of the Belvédère du Labyrinthe is an interesting one, since one of its components completely disappeared: the Solar Gong. Every day at midday – through a magnifying glass meticulously set according to the meridian – the sun’s rays would burn a strand of hair holding up the hammer designed to hit the gong, thus causing it to resonate. This project, a horizontal gong, which is only visible from the gazebo itself, remains silent, emphasising the gong’s visual rather than auditive quality. The dome enacts the liaison between earth and sky, while retaining an abstract and mystical dimension.