Clermont-Ferrand, an industrial town in the countryside. By Guillaume HUTIN & Colin JUILLARD

We took these two photographs in Clermont-Ferrand on the 19th February 2015.

The first one was taken in the early afternoon at the top of the “Rue des Gras” near the Gothic cathedral. The weather was sunny and mild. It was during the winter holidays so there were many people in the streets. We can see the beautiful landscape of the Puy de Dôme.

The scene takes place in the city’s pedestrian area and the temperature was around 10°C. 

At the moment the picture was taken, we could hear the noise of people walking and speaking, children laughing and playing, the music of some shops and restaurants but also the background noise of the traffic.

It was half past four and the smell of good snacks like pancakes or waffles made the children happy.

We took the second photograph at 6 o'clock in the evening in “Avenue Edouard Michelin”, near the headquarters of the Michelin Company, during the rush hour so the noise of the cars was permanent and the smell of pollution was almost unpleasant.

The sky was clear and announced a beautiful night. Public lighting and several car headlights illuminated this panel. It is surrounded by the dark blue sky, which highlights the panel even more.

The yellow and blue reminded us of the ASM rugby team logo.

On the top photo, in the foreground, there are a lot of houses and shops, which make up the town centre. Nature takes up most of the background. We have an amazing point of view of the “Puy de Dôme” from here.

The bottom photo shows the panel from below. The street panel is right in the middle of the picture and takes up almost all of it.

The “Puy-de-Dôme” mountain is a well-known element and symbol of Clermont-Ferrand. It’s the highest volcano (1464 meters high) among the “Chaîne des Puys”, and it looms over the city. The “Rue des Gras” is famous because it is a straight street aligned with both the cathedral and the “Puy de Dôme” and it acts like a link between the town and the countryside.

Edouard Michelin was a founding member of the Michelin enterprise with his brother André Michelin. It has become a worldwide company, which brings Clermont its international renown. Indeed, Clermont mainly grew thanks to Michelin’s industrial activity.

When we took these two photographs, our aim was to show you that Clermont managed to develop an industrial multinational corporation while keeping in mind the protection of its environment.

Secondly, we put the first picture in black and white and the second one in colour to emphasize this idea, and create a visual contrast. The black and white photograph is of a wide view, whereas the other is focused on a specific object.

The view of the volcanoes taken from the city proves that the countryside is an important part of the town because it’s only a few kilometres from the town centre (a 20mn drive), which is a real luxury and creates a beautiful backdrop to Clermont.

The panel reminds us that the Michelin firm is a main element of the development of Clermont.

Clermont-Ferrand is an example of a city which has managed to combine industrial development and unspoilt nature.