Photographing the Institut de l’Audition – Light, Reflections and Sensory Architecture in Paris
Light transforms the façade into a living, resonating surface. In this architectural photo series, I invite you to discover the Institut de l’Audition in Paris — where reflections and textures blur the boundaries between science, art, and sensory perception.
A vibrant façade in the heart of Paris’s 12th arrondissement
Located between Bastille and Nation, the Institut de l’Audition stands out with a striking façade blending modern design and natural light. Designed as an organic structure, it plays with contrasts between clean lines and angular facets. Architecture here becomes a form of visual expression, with every element in dialogue with its urban surroundings.
This façade is more than a surface — it acts as a dynamic skin, capturing and diffusing natural light. Depending on the time of day, reflections shift to reveal neighboring Parisian buildings, the sky, or subtle shadow and geometric patterns. It’s an open-air architectural performance.
A dance of reflections between tradition and innovation
The façade’s hexagonal cells evoke both patterns from nature and acoustic waveforms, directly referencing the institute’s focus. The glass-and-metal surface reflects the Haussmannian buildings across the street, creating a poetic juxtaposition of classic Parisian architecture and contemporary design.
Photographically, it becomes a rich ground for graphic exploration. The reflections distort the city’s familiar image, fragment façades, and turn balconies and windows into abstract elements. The result is a striking visual composition, almost surreal. Through the lens, the city is reinvented by the geometry of this architectural skin.
A sensory and immersive architectural experience
More than a building, the Institut de l’Audition offers a sensory experience. In line with its scientific mission around hearing and medical research, it integrates elements that engage perception. The façade itself — constantly changing with the light — evokes vibration, resonance, and the subtlety of sound that the institute seeks to understand and treat.
This project demonstrates how contemporary Parisian architecture can unite science, aesthetics, and emotion. As an architectural photographer, I aim to reveal these tensions between materials, styles, and functions. The façade of the Institut de l’Audition perfectly embodies this vision — offering endless compositions, reflections, and interpretations.
A rich photographic subject full of texture and contrast
Whether in colour or black and white, this façade reveals astonishing graphic patterns. Volumes emerge with clarity, and shadows sculpt the surface. The honeycomb windows become faceted prisms, reflecting sky, walls — even the photographer himself. Abstraction is never far, and the viewer finds themselves drawn into a perceptual game between built reality and optical illusion.
In this photo series, I explored various angles to highlight the intelligence of the design and the building’s ability to reshape our view of the city. Each image aims to capture the dialogue between the façade and its immediate surroundings, while also offering a more personal, almost meditative perspective.
Photographing the façade of the Institut de l’Audition means exploring a piece of living architecture — one that surprises at every moment. A striking example of how Paris continues to innovate without forgetting its roots.
Sebastien Desnoulez is a Paris-based architectural photographer. He explores how contemporary buildings reveal emotion through light, material, and abstraction — where geometry meets poetry.
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All the photos displayed on this website are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No use allowed without written authorization.
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