Hidden potential… By Antonin LAUPRETRE

I took these photos on the 22nd of February.

The first photo is the view from Chateauguay at nightfall. It was cold and dry, which is not unpleasant. There are silhouettes of trees in the foreground, lights in the background. The lower part of the photo is a deep black. The light is from Clermont-Ferrand, in particular from the industrial area of Ladoux; it diffuses slightly into a fine mist present on the surface of the Limagne plain. This industrial area is dominated by the Michelin buildings and the Michelin test track.

In the second photo, you see the Urbalad building under construction. It’s impressive by its size and the fact that it passes over the high-speed track. It will accommodate 1,600 workstations!

These photos show that Clermont is, contrary to what many people think, a city that has big potential. It's true that, at first glance, the dark-stoned city appears defunct, but this is a misconception. Working in Clermont is a good thing because it is in fact very modern and you have the advantage of being close to the countryside.