Removing the Esplanade sculpture

© 2025 EPFL
Elément blanc, a Carrara marble sculpture by Owsky Kobalt installed in 1985, was dismantled during the first days of the Double Deck construction project.
Following a process of reflection initiated and led by CDH-Culture on how to preserve the traces of this major work, several measures were taken with the support of the Buildings Department. Photographic documentation and 3D scans were produced. For the past year, filmmaker Bastien Genoux has been shooting a film about the life, uses, and history of this sculpture, an icon of our Campus. Finally, the marble slabs, a most noble material, will be stored for a future project yet to be defined.