Inaugural Week 2025–26

Workshop led by Nathanaël Abeille in collaboration with MUDAC (Marco Costantini, Jolanthe Kugler, Scott Longfellow, Rafaël Santianez, Letizia Petrino)

Assisted by Lola Jutzeler, Robin Delerce, Valentin Calame, Alexandra Miskufova, Melina Meyer, Chiara Kocis, David Viladomiu Ceballos

As a city, Geneva has an urban volume that deprives some living spaces of sunlight. The aim of the workshop was to redirect sunlight into such spaces by placing reflectors nearby.

The students positioned mirrors on bridges, balconies, hilltops, rooftops, bell towers—any kind of sunny promontory—to reflect light into lower-lying living areas: domestic interiors, small squares, cafés, gardens, libraries, and more. These happenings were then compiled into a catalog that tells the story of alternative ways to light up the daytime.

This project advocated for the right of city dwellers to receive sunlight in their homes when the weather is nice. It was a way of showing that design can challenge the established urban order, and that architecture can be experimented with at a 1:1 scale. The goal was to “hack” Geneva’s solar diagram to bring outdoor light indoors. All of this was powered freely, using cosmic energy.

The project is part of the exhibition Soleil·s, the second Solar Biennale, presented at MUDAC in Lausanne and available online here.