Marc Barani describes Francis Soler in the following extract:

« I remember a drawing on the cover of an architecture magazine. It was back in 1986. With a nerve, Francis Soler drew support from the structuralist approach to explore an unusual aesthetic world that was flexible, living and rational. As a result, the plans, sections and details of his projects demonstrated uncompromising functional and constructive precision, an economy of means, while the volumetry, façades and atmospheres captured the context and culture of the period. This fertile tension, between structuralism and sensuality, and between rationality and poetry, was the basis of his work. On this doctrinal foundation, Francis Soler achieved the miracle of developing a very personal timeless type of architecture. Those who know how to do this are few and far between; all the more so since this talent is combined with that of a pioneer. Indeed he proposed to cover all the buildings for Les Bons Enfants – the seat of the Ministry of Culture – with a vibrant and unifying latticework. That was in 1994, well before this solution was taken up in many projects. Still in 1994, he designed the Lycée in Noumea from a sophisticated natural ventilation system, without following the program, which required air-conditioning, to the point of being excluded from the competition.In 1999, for the conversion of the Keroman submarine base in Lorient, he located a wind farm on a rough site where water and concrete meet. It was a “utopia”, according to the jury. Yet this utopia would have provided the city of Lorient with half its electricity requirements, and whose feasibility was confirmed by a letter from EDF in which they undertook to finance the project. At the time, these proposals earned him incomprehension, mockery and virulent criticism. They are now an integral part of the architectural landscape. In Francis Soler’s more recent projects, the strong narrative dimensions he began with tend to fade before a more direct and technical representation. It would seem that the proliferation of standards and regulations of all sorts is a driving force in their design. A beneficial opposition to the pervading exasperation to describe the growing number of constraints differently, recognize that despite it all they are revealing of a contemporary culture, and from this create new arwchitectural material. Today, Francis Soler’s constant search for innovation drives him to design projects like a scientist, to set them up like far-reaching and generous precision engineering, capable of adapting to the prevailing cultural instability. He is a pioneer as I already said. It would probably be appropriate to ask what he is telling us that we have not yet seen or understood. »

Thursday 27th of March 2014
Francis Soler
Lecture: The Art of the Opposition.

@ 19.30, IAAC Auditorium
Open to the Public

FRANCIS SOLER
Francis Soler set up his private practice in 1985. Its activities are extremely varied: from facilities to housing and from studies to urban development. The office takes part in major competitions for public projects both in France and abroad and in consultations by invitation. As much attention is given to small but remarkable buildings, such as public housing in Rue Emile Durkheim (Paris/Delivery in 1997), and in Clichy (delivery in 2001), layouts, and facilities, as to high prestige works, such as grandstand for 14 July celebrations (under François Mitterrand mandates), International conference centre (aborted project), Ministry of Culture (delivery in 2005), OCO / “Coeur d’Orly”, big urban airport project and Philharmonics of Paris (competitions).
In 2009, he participated in the elaboration of Vasconi report, ordered by Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo about environmental challenge and the discussion about placing architecture under supervision of this ministry and not Ministry of Culture.
His big project of Research and Development Centre for EDF (French Electricity) is actually under construction (delivery is scheduled in 2015). His private housing project for VINCI, in Zac Cardinet (Paris) is also under construction (delivery by 2015). The construction of his big public housing projects, in Porte d’Auteuil (Paris) with Anne Demians, Rudy Ricciotti and Finn Geipel architects is scheduled to begin in mid-2014. Executive studies for the construction of the huge bridge over the Arno River Florence, (Italy) are almost achieved and approved, construction being scheduled by the end of 2014.
The aim is to give them all an important role in the city, to make them into art works. Whatever the project is, Francis Soler’s priorities are to propose pertinent responses to the complex problems of old and new cities, and to give real pleasure to users and residents by offering them architecture that is an art of usage.