Francheville
Le Grand Barnum
2026
Address
40 Avenue de la table de Pierre
Tiers lieu Les grandes voisines,
69340 Francheville
The former A. Charial geriatric hospital was transformed in 2021 into a community hub housing 575 refugees. The top floor features a 3-star training hotel managed by the Salvation Army, comprising 26 rooms; at its center lies an exhibition space known as "La Grotte" (The Cave)—a reference to Platon’s Allegory of the Cave—complete with a starry-sky ceiling. This area is complemented by an exhibition spanning the corridors that showcases works by 30 international artists—with the total number of displayed artworks matching the number of refugees.