September 10, 2026

Words: Georgina McWhirter

Le Corbusier’s Church Becomes A Solar Spectacle

Completed posthumously in 2006, Saint-Pierre in Firminy, France, is a pyramidal raw-concrete structure by Le Corbusier punctured by minuscule circular windows representing the stars of the Orion constellation. So far, so ethereal. To honor the church’s 20th anniversary, and to mark 10 years since 17 examples of architecture by Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, aka Le Corbusier, became UNESCO World Heritage Sites, something special was in order. Döppel Studio, the Paris-based object and spatial design practice cofounded in 2016 by Lionel Dinis-Salazar and Jonathan Omar, landed on “Solaire,” an immersive installation that casts light and shade on the interior of Saint-Pierre (solaire is French for solar). Inspired by Corbu, for whom the sun was a powerful design tool, the duo reinterpreted a gnomon—the part of a sundial that casts a shadow—as five modular plaster totems, each one unique and illuminated in a cool-to-warm hue to capture the passage of a day. A totem in every room, lit internally and/or by colored floor and ceiling spotlights, takes visitors on a journey from the break of dawn to golden sunrise to the bright zenith of midday sun, through dusk, and finally night. (A sixth room showcases the totems’ modular components.) A full 24 hours experienced in mere minutes? Call it a miracle. doppelstudio.fr

milestones 20 years

  • A concrete room with small sinks and toilets on steps; next to it is a bright yellow-lit area with built-in bench seating.
    “Solaire,” a Döppel Studio light installation inside and paying tribute to Le Corbusier’s Saint-Pierre church in Firminy, France, is open through January 17. Photography by Döppel Studio.
  • A cylindrical blue and white light fixture is segmented in the middle, emitting a bright white glow against a black background.
    One of five illuminated ceramic totems referencing sundials. Photography by Döppel Studio.
  • A large, sculptural concrete building with angled walls and a curved roof stands under a clear sky; some people are near the entrance at the base.
    The Brutalist concrete architecture of Saint-Pierre, its design begun by Le Corbusier in 1961 and completed posthumously in 2006. Photography by Pierre Desrumeaux/studio Nord.
  • A tall, white, modern sculptural light fixture stands on a concrete floor amid minimalist concrete steps and walls in a contemporary interior space.
    A high noon–channeling totem. Photography by Döppel Studio.
  • An older man in a suit and round glasses sits at a drafting table with papers and pencils, appearing to work on architectural plans.
    Le Corbusier. Photography by Fondation Le Corbusier.
  • A tall, geometric sculpture stands on a square base, illuminated by a spotlight in a dark room with large windows and silhouetted figures in the background.
    A sundown-evoking totem. Photography by Pierre Desrumeaux/studio Nord.
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