Regret des oiseaux

Sponsor: Lyon Parc Auto
Architects: Demichel & Dordilly

The Regret of the birds sculpture is erected in the central well of the Park. It takes up the eponymous poem taken from the collection "Mémoires de l'ombre", by Marcel Béalu (1908-1993), written in 1947. The poet evokes his lyrical descent into a lighthouse to join his beloved. A descent that Philippe Favier, an artist from Saint-Etienne, materializes by the reading direction of the column: from top to bottom. The work thus unfolds over the entire height of the Park and, contrary to what one might think, the whole thing is suspended and does not rest on the ground. It is 20 meters high with a diameter of 4.5 meters and weighs more than 7 tons. More than a thousand rust-worn metal letters, each 63 centimeters high and laser-cut from 3 millimeter thick steel, compose it. The lighting, placed at the foot of the column, produces a play of shadows and highlights its metallic colors. From an architectural point of view, the work is revealed through the large openings of the central core, planned by the architect of the Park, Claude Dordilly. A belvedere on level -1, accessible to pedestrians, offers a privileged view of this poetic sculpture.