From a 1950s gas station to a retro-futuristic mascot

The OZO service station in Bellevue (RN10) inspired me to create the silhouette of a small mechanical gas station attendant. In this sketchbook, I recount the history of the place, the architect Paul Lagneau, and then I take you step by step from the first sketch to the final composition. The print is available in the shop in various sizes.

The origin of the project

It all started with a service station unlike any other: the OZO Service Station in Bellevue , an icon of National Route 10. Built in 1955–1956 by the architect Paul Lagneau , this station, with its large concrete canopy and slender totem pole, symbolized the golden age of national highways , paid holidays , and the France of family holidays . Modernism.

See the Wikipedia page for the OZO Bellevue Gas Station
OZO Bellevue Station on Facebook and Instagram

Now restored, it embodies a unique architectural heritage , blending industrial design with the poetry of everyday life. It was while rediscovering this place steeped in history that I felt the desire to bring it to life... in a different way.

Birth of OZO, the little robot

Observing the building's shape—the roof, the vertical spire—I saw something else: the silhouette of a figure wearing a cap, holding a banner. The idea came to me naturally: what if the station became a small robot gas station attendant , guardian of a bygone era?

Thus was born OZO, the little robot , a creature half-architecture, half-machine, a nod to those old-time gas station attendants who disappeared with the arrival of self-service.

And as its name inevitably evokes ozone , this robot has also become a symbol of protection and positive energy - a guardian of the atmosphere , in its own way.

Step 1 - Inspiration and initial sketches

Before drawing a single line, I put together a small mood board :

• Archive photos of the OZO Bellevue station,
• cars typical of the 1950s,
• vintage Michelin advertisements
• retro-futuristic mechanical robot design.
• Advertising pin-up girls, garage tools, repairs, etc.

These elements served as the basis for my first sketches.
On my quick thumbnails , the building has transformed into a character: a small, solid, benevolent being, riding on its wheel, almost proud to hold its flag (time lapse on Instagram) .

Step 2 - Draw the character

OZO is taking shape: A gas pump mounted on a wheel, equipped with a small moped-like engine. Its tubular arms end in gloved hands , one holding the totem , the other a gas nozzle from which a symbolic squirt escapes, watering the planet—Birdman gets a little of it. An assemblage that is both mechanical and poetic, somewhere between industrial relic and fantasy.

Step 3 - The general composition

To bring it to life, the station had to be placed back in its environment: the RN10 , the legendary national road that connected Paris to Biarritz .
So I constructed a perspective where this road crosses the scene, a symbol of travel, speed and freedom .

Quickly, “vrooom”, 1950s automobiles took their place in the composition: chrome silhouettes, full of movement and energy.
It's the setting of an era: that of holidays, petrol stations and the first great family getaways...

Step 4 - The surprise guest: Bibendum Michelin

I have always had a soft spot for Bibendum , the Michelin mascot, a benevolent figure of the road and an imaginary companion of travelers, at a time when we still sought our way using road maps which still allowed us to get lost along the way.
In this scene, I placed him as a cosmic guardian : he holds the blue planet in his right hand, as a tribute to the road and to the Earth.

This humorous touch adds a symbolic layer :

OZO and Bibendum - two icons linked to the road, one born of concrete, the other of rubber - watch over our planet together.

(NB: My version of Bibendum is stylized, conceived as a graphic tribute and not a commercial reproduction.)

Step 5 - Colors and atmosphere

For the colour scheme, I relied on OZO's original color scheme , dominated by red and white , then supported by shades of planet blue and touches of primary yellow to balance the whole and give it a little diesel pep .
Some shades of grey are reminiscent of the mechanical world or the concrete of the station, while the overall palette evokes the 1950s , their signs, their Formica and their bold tones.

A play of shadows and light enriches the line art, bringing a subtle relief in 2D flats for a slightly three-dimensional effect.

Step 6 - Details and texture

The illustration gradually becomes enriched with a multitude of small garage items : a can of used oil , a spark plug and piston , double wrenches , screwdrivers , a lug wrench , bolt fragments, traces of grease , and multicolored exhaust fumes . A few splashes of gasoline and other oil drips complete this lively, weathered, and authentic workshop atmosphere .

These details bring the substance and memory of the place: you can almost smell the heated metal and hear the breath of an engine ready to start up again.

A creation between past and future

This project is a tribute to a bygone era , that of family gas stations, roads lined with neon signs and promises of escape, but also a projection towards a more poetic and responsible future .

OZO the little robot is both:

• a metaphor for heritage brought to life,
• a symbol of transition , between essence and new energy,
• and a figure of benevolence , an imaginary guardian of our ozone layer.

The fine art print

The " Station OZO - BelleVue " print is available in the shop in various formats in SIGNATURE Edition.

In parallel: the #OZOCREATIF challenge

This creation is also the key visual for the Bl.é Art Challenge #1 , a creative contest launched on Instagram . The theme: OZO CREATIVE - imagine your own vision of the world of OZO, from the gas station (to the robot), through the retro-futuristic universe it can inspire.

From October 20th to December 10th, 2025 at midnight.
The winner will receive an OZO fine art print 50×70 cm .
A 30×40 cm OZO fine art print for the 2nd and 3rd place on the podium.
Dedication, stamp and signature.

To participate: post your creation with the hashtags #OZOCREATIF #ChallengeBleArt #StationServiceOZO

To conclude

This “making of” is not just the story of an illustration, but also an invitation to look differently at our ordinary landscapes, those forgotten architectural structures that lie dormant by the roadside. Because sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective for a gas station to become a small robot full of soul.

Thank you for following this logbook, and welcome to the world of OZO