Buildings of biblical proportions... By Clément ARGAILLOT & Guillaume ANDRIEUX

I took the first photo on the 22nd February, at 5 pm, in Clermont-Ferrand in a district called Les Pistes (this name is due to the numerous factories there). It was a Sunday evening, so the streets were deserted. The day wasn't too cold. The building was a Michelin factory 25 years ago; it is easily recognizable because of its architecture. Michelin is an enterprise based in Clermont-Ferrand which has been making tires since the 19th century. This is a large industrial building with grey walls made of concrete which have become dirty over the years because of the pollution. There are old narrow windows which don't let much light enter. It is closed to the public and is disused; I wouldn't like to be inside when night falls!

I took the second photo in Clermont-Ferrand too, on Wednesday 14th of February. My family and I were in our car because we were going to the ski resort Le Lioran for three days. When we passed in front of this stadium, I asked my parents to stop the car in order to take a photo. The weather was fabulous: the sun was shining and the temperature was about 20°C! I photographed this place at the end of the morning, around 11am, on the square in front of the building. It is the Marcel Michelin stadium seen from the outside. The original stadium was built in 1911. Today, it seats more than 18,000 people for each match of the ASM, our famous rugby team. The stadium was built by Marcel Michelin, the head of the firm at the time. We feel very small when we visit this place which is very impressive. You can see the ASM shop where you can buy their goodies. It’s in this stadium that the ASM has won many victories. The “Bib Park” (one of it names, because of Bibendum, the mascot of Michelin) is considered as the most difficult stadium in Europe to “conquer”, and the supporters are among the most respectful. I saw a match there some time ago; it is a great memory. For me, this stadium symbolizes modernity and the influence of Clermont-Ferrand, of its inhabitants, and of it sports. "We play at home" is a sentence that any Clermontois is pleased to hear.

These two buildings are situated less than 150m from each other. They were built by the same company. These photos symbolize yesterday (the silence of the old factory) and today (the noisy stadium from which I can hear the thousands of supporters from my home during matches) and show the importance of Michelin, the firm that developed Clermont-Ferrand, present in the urban landscape and in the lives of the citizens.