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Photo: PNR de l’Aubrac
A geode on the Aubrac, at Saint Laurent de Muret
On Tuesday May 7, a block of stone weighing over 3 tonnes, hollowed out at its center like a geode, climbed the Pic de Mus to settle on a scree slope facing the landscape of the Aubrac foothills. This GeOde now offers walkers a pause for rest and contemplation.
Following the installation of the Oculus in Marchastel in May 2023, the GéOde in Saint Laurent de Muret is the second stage in the Occitanie Region’s program with the Regional Nature Parks to promote the local stone industry.
A technical challenge met
“We wanted to showcase this place, the Pic de Mus, which is dear to the hearts of the commune’s inhabitants,” says mayor Pierre Rey. “What appealed to us was the innovative aspect of this project, which is unprecedented and respects this singular location”.
“Although imagined very early on, the idea of a geode had not been presented because it was considered too complex,” explained landscape designer Xavier Bonnet of A3-PAYSAGE. “To hollow out a block of basalt of this size would have been technically unfeasible. It wasn’t until the creation of the Oculus that we came up with the idea of cutting the block into slices, cutting out the inside of each slice to make it easier to climb up the steep path to the Pic de Mus, and then assembling them once at the top to form the GeOde.”
“But first, we had to find a single block, large enough for a person to lie down inside,” continues Emmanuel Hebrard, stone mason with his father and son. “A healthy, crack-free block to work on. It’s not every day that we implement these methods, but we’re three generations working together so there’s an accumulation of experience.”
The Pic de Mus, a volcanic promontory
The Pic de Mus is a promontory marked by the unique volcanism of the Aubrac region. Access to the summit is relatively short, making it an easy outing for locals and hikers alike. With the statue of Notre Dame de la Montagne at its summit, the site has a strong religious, historical and intangible significance, as well as a remarkable panoramic view.
To reinforce the link between this block of volcanic stone, Bouzentès basalt, the landscape and the people who live there, a hundred or so names of places in the commune, villages, hamlets, streams, remarkable lands and places… have been engraved on the open face of the GéOde.
“The concept is inspired by philosopher Michel Foucault’s heterotopia explains Xavier Bonnet. “It consists in making a physical place the support of a utopia. In this case a stone, like a cave, a shelter, a bed where you dream… without visual conflict with the statue and the panorama!”
