Francois Dumas was commissioned by the Sisters of the Monastery of Sainte Marie de Prouilhe in France to find a solution in order to isolate the heart of the Basilica. The need for the Sisters was to be able to keep warm during prayers and to be able to use the space comfortably throughout the year. Together with two acolytes – Gero Asmuth and Erasmus Scherjon – they designed and produced a curtain system made of sliding felt panels. As on rails and with the possibility to be set aside, the principle enables various configurations (open, semi-closed and closed) and suits different seasons. For the panels, the wish was to use a natural material that interacts and complement the original architecture without being intrusive. Felt was simultaneously chosen for its acoustic and thermic isolation qualities, and in a beautiful manner, its natural colour chimes with the clothing of the Dominican Sisters. Pure in their essence, the panels engage in a dialogue with the limestones of the massive Basilica. In total, the curtains are composed of four felt woollen panels of 6 metres high by 2 metres wide by 2 centimetres thick, sliding on an aluminium profile system which was originally conceived for movable walls in large architectural spaces. The felt woollen panels behave in a monolithic way. The system was adapted to create this complex movement allowing the panels to slide in front of each other and to be tucked in two alcoves on either side of the Basilica’s heart. The experience to work together with the Sisters was enriching for both sides, as the Sisters got sensitised to Design, Dumas and his two acolytes got inspired from working in a spiritual environment which ultimately for all created an unexpected and enriching communion.
