- the vision of the city and creative vision,
- development of techniques and ecology of lighting,
- implementation of the lighting plan.
lyon: ville lumière
After the launch of a new lighting plan for Lyon, Vincent Laganier looks back on how the city's lighting strategy has developed and considers the current lighting projects...
Located at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône, Lyon - known as 'la brumeuse' for its foggy climate - introduced a lighting plan in 1989. For Henry Chabert, the then deputy mayor in charge of town planning and public spaces, "the lighting plan forms part of a general strategy to enhance the urban environment and improve life in the city. For the city's inhabitants, it reinforces their sense of belonging".
The lighting plan shows off the city, its heritage, its topography and its historic thoroughfares to their best advantage. Building façades on the main avenues of the city centre are edge-lit from the first storey upwards. This 'Lyonnais' approach is thanks to Alain Guilhot and Michel Bouit, who were also involved in the lighting plan from the very start. This indirect form of lighting produces a diffuse, luminescent ambience which gives pedestrians a feeling of security.
Bridges, walkways and important sites are illuminated by a combination of beams shining in different directions. The city has utilised the expertise of many lighting designers, most of them based in the Rhône-Alpes region. The illuminations were inaugurated on the occasion of the traditional 'Fête de la Lumière', or Festival of Lights, which takes place on the 8th of December each year.
Public lighting has not been forgotten. Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Louis Clair have designed three simple, contemporary styles of lamp post. This furniture is used both in the city centre and on the outskirts, for the sake of coherence. Another original and imaginative range by Jourda / Perraudin is installed in particular locations, such as the square of Lyon's 'Cité Internationale'.
Exporting its lighting expertise
When, in 1999, the city established a four-day Festival of Light, two area lighting plans were initiated: in Part-Dieu in the city centre (by Laurent Fachard, Les Eclairagistes Associés) and La Duchère, located on Lyon's 'third hill' (by Philippe Hutinet). In Part Dieu, the dramatic night-time display reveals the city's architecture through colour, and uses blue to light the roadways.
The new lighting plan for Lyon 1) Creating diverse atmospheres 2) Emphasising city life and activity in the neighbourhoods 3) Adapting light to the rhythms of city life 4) Extending the creative reach 5) Reducing light pollution 6) Making room for experimentation 7) Bringing together urban lighting expertise
Lyon is developing various means of enabling to bring these seven topics to fruition, one of which stands out, and seeks to "improve the professionalism of participants": In September 2004, a training scheme was initiated in partnership with the AFE (Association Française de l'Eclairage, French Lighting Association), leading to the qualification of 'Outdoor Spaces Lighting Electrician'. Set up thanks to the joint efforts of the regional president of the AFE, Alain Van Der Ham, and Antoine Bouchet, the aim is to optimise the maintenance of urban lighting installations, from both the technical and artistic points of view. The setting up of such a project with the French Department of Education is proof that Lyon sets a shining example - and not just in its lighting.
'Lumières architecturales en France' by Vincent Laganier, published by Editions AS at 75 euro, can be ordered on
www.as-editions.fr or email: as.editions@wanadoo.fr
Since 1995, Lyon has exported its expertise by lighting the Hermitage Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Two years later, it lit the Castillo del Morro in Havana, Cuba, and in 1998 the Ho Chi Minh City Museum in Vietnam. These three projects were the work of Lyonnais lighting designers and the shareholders of the Lighting Plan, Electricité de France (EDF) and Le Mat' Electrique (part of the Sonepar group).
Today, over 150 noteworthy sites in Lyon are lit under the management of Antoine Bouchet. Year after year, Lyon has succeeded in changing its image and developing its nightlife. Light has become a real element in its tourism activities. 7.62 million euros were invested between 1989 and 1998, equivalent to 2.06 euros per inhabitant per year. The operating budget amounts to 0.61 million euros, of which electricity consumption accounts for half.
In 2003 Gilles Buna, deputy mayor in charge of town planning and sustainable development, instigated a new lighting plan: "Lyon must continue its pioneering role and be capable of going further." Studies were produced by a working party whose members are: Antoine Bouchet, Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, François Brégnac and Isabelle Fèvre. Their principal recommendations were: to build on the original design for lighting the city and take advantage of major urban projects to light Lyon differently. The new thing about this approach was that many of the future participants were involved in the discussions on these recommendations. Between March and June 2004, three discussion groups were organised to consider:
Since then, the new lighting project has been broken down into seven topics:
Redevelopment is in progress on the banks of the Rhône (2006), where lighting heralds a new future. Over a distance of five kilometres in the city centre, Yves Adrien has designed a different, luminous atmosphere, like 'moonlight'. Other major night-time landmarks are in preparation: the high-rise buildings in Part-Dieu and La Duchère, Hall 3000 in the Cité Internationale (2006) by Renzo Piano and the 'Musée des Confluences' (2007) by Coop Himmelb(l)au.
As the city develops, so it is necessary to design area-specific lighting plans. This will involve three major urban projects, including the Lyon-Confluence site, an area set to undergo significant development in the next 20 years. On a different scale, experimental lighting projects will largely target local neighbourhoods. They will be conducted over short periods in, for example, the heart of the Vaise district, or the Part-Dieu project which will be further developed.
To avoid producing fixed images, the idea is to cross permanent operation with temporary events. "City lighting will therefore be composed of a basis together with one-off lighting effects. On the other hand, day-to-day lighting levels will be reduced," according to the new lighting plan.
It is a question of including new modes of expression and calling upon other creative individuals, such as artists and designers, as with the Lyon Festival of Light. Their involvement may be "slight or sporadic, lively and changing: the aim is no longer to light up the city completely, but to design lighting in harmony with time and space". Among the proposals, some interesting ideas have emerged, such as establishing an artistic department within the City of Lyon and launching a study into the fabrication of a new line of street furniture based on a combination of aesthetic and technological considerations.
Lyon has made numerous commitments relating to sustainable development, including participation in the European 'Green Light' programme to reduce energy consumption. The programme includes the use of more energy-efficient lighting systems, the gradual installation of lamps with better light quality or superior efficiency, and the use of LEDs. The city also undertakes to recycle all discarded lamps and light fittings. Finally, it takes an innovative approach to combating light pollution in several sensitive areas. This involves raising public and private interest groups' awareness of where lighting comes from and defining standard types of light coverage in order to optimise the size of lighting installations.
In January 2005 Lyon launched an initial project over a distance of 200 metres in the Avenue Foch. "The question is, how to adapt urban lighting to the particular needs of partially sighted people with greater or lesser sensitivity to contrast and dazzle?" The study is being coordinated over a six month period by Ingelux Consultants in partnership with Marc Fontoynont from l'ENTPE, EDF, the University of Lyon and local associations.
The Lyon region has all the necessary expertise relating to town lighting, from research, to material production, to lighting design. Hence the idea of establishing a European competence centre along the lines of LUCI, the Lighting Urban Community International Association.