Ensuring Long-Term Heritage Through Investment
In 2021, the Fontaines Pétrifiantes joined the very exclusive circle of bicentennial companies. Founded in 1821, the site owes its origins to Jean Serre, ancestor of the family, who devised an ingenious system to transform water into stone and use limestone for artistic purposes.
His grandson Léon, fully aware of the uniqueness of this rare craft, opened the petrifying fountain to spa visitors in 1922, who became the company’s very first visitors. Since then, successive generations have been committed to sharing the secrets of petrification with as wide an audience as possible. The visitor experience is fully immersive: a carefully designed route leads guests close to the thermo-mineral springs and directly into the petrification workshops.
Each generation has consistently invested in the visitor facilities to keep them modern and attractive. As the company enters its third century of existence, a new five-year investment program is being launched. The first phase focuses on both interior and exterior layouts, as well as an extension of the building.
A Project with Multiple Objectives
Enhancing the Visitor Experience
The extension will enhance the visitor journey by increasing the duration of the tour and introducing new content. The project includes an additional 150 square meters of exhibition space, extending the total visit time to approximately one hour.
These new areas will showcase previously unseen works, retracing the various experiments carried out over the past decade by the Master Craftsman in Petrification. Éric Papon will present his latest creations, along with collaborations developed with artists and designers, including Lusus Naturae.
Visitors will also be immersed in the heart of the family’s history, gaining deeper insight into the direction the company has taken since its foundation. Historical pieces and family archives, presented through a playful and structured scenography, will illustrate the evolution of the business and the emblematic figures who have shaped its legacy.
Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
The renovation project reinforces the company’s CSR commitments, particularly in environmental and social aspects. From a social perspective, the extension will eliminate the last remaining staircase along the visitor route. It will be replaced by a system of ramps connecting the upper level to the ground floor. While wheelchair users currently have access to the entire tour with assistance, the new layout will allow all visitors to follow the same route without additional effort.
The creation of new exhibition spaces, along with the redesign of existing ones, will also emphasize accessibility of content. Whether for visitors with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities, as well as for children, interpretive tools will be designed to be as inclusive and accessible as possible.
Environmental responsibility is also a key pillar of the project. Previous renovations enabled the use of hot springs for geothermal heating. This new phase complements that approach by integrating solar energy into the building’s operation, with the objective of achieving electrical self-consumption. To support this, the roof of the original building will be redesigned to form a single south-east-facing slope with the extension, ideal for the installation of photovoltaic panels.
Supporting Research and Development
Finally, the project provides an opportunity to rethink the craftsman’s production workshops. Their expansion and new layout will support continued experimentation and create shared workspaces to host professionals and artists for collaborative projects.
These improvements will enhance workstation ergonomics while allowing visitors to observe the manufacturing gestures even more closely.
An Opening Planned for the End of the Year
A few weeks ago, the installation of a crane marked the official start of the extension works. Since then, excavation of the extension area has been completed and the first walls are currently under construction. Structural work will continue until July, followed by interior fittings during the annual closure in November.
This schedule has been designed to ensure that the site remains fully accessible to visitors throughout the entire construction period, without disruption.
We look forward to welcoming you at the end of the year to discover these new spaces, and we will continue to keep you informed of the project’s progress in the meantime.
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