The city of Lyon has long been known as a pioneer of urban lighting and experimentation co-ordinated by the local authorities and its urban planners. But it may come as a surprise to most of you to know that Lyon's involvement with lighting dates back to 1852 when the inhabitants' windows were lit up on 8th December to celebrate the darkness of the Winter Solstice.
The spontaneous popular tradition has, over the years, attracted the talent of artists and the technology of leading companies, adding a new dimension to the 'Festival of Lights' which has taken place every 8th December ever since - an culmination of a year's worth of innovative lighting schemes by this most forward-thinking of cities.
"Today, lighting architecture is helping to make our city even more beautiful," states Gerard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon. "Every night of the year, the Lighting Plan illuminates more than 200 sites in our city, and the December 8th celebration gains in momentum and renown."
The 2002 Festival spread across the entire city, pooling the talents of the most famous lighting designers with the skill and enthusiasm of specialised companies and organisations, the local authorities and associations in various districts. A must-attend event in the world of urban lighting arts and techniques, the Festival of Lights is above all - and must remain - a time of celebration. The theme of the 2002 Festival was 'Rivers of Light' which... "enables us to expand our notion of the festival's venue, taking into account Lyon's nocturnal shape and landscape. Indeed, the two rivers lie at the very heart of local topography. But rivers also symbolise the idea of flowing lines and paths emblematic of this city's unique fluid geography," according to Roger Narboni and Laurent Fachard, Artistic Directors of the Festival
The Festival offers urban planning professionals an exceptional platform for ideas and experimentation. Through the Lyon Conferences on Light, the Festival aims to inspire new ways of thinking about urban planning and position Lyon as an international crossroads in the field of urban lighting.
Collomb stated, "It is my wish that this Festival should inspire a forum for sharing ideas and know-how. For we believe that the public authorities in large cities around the globe must place urban lighting at the very heart of their development strategies. In this way, the Festival of Lights can contribute to the progress of Mankind. This is Lyon's ambition."
Pictured above is 'Theatre des Celestins', winner of Trophee Lumiere
Polychromes, Patrice Warrener
Warrener has perfected a new artistic lighting technique, Chromolithe, which makes it possible to project coloured light onto a large number of architectural details. When viewing a building illumination with this technique, you have the impression of standing in front of a large, unreal and novel polychrome fresco whose colours have been defined using the latest computer technology.
Reflections, Skertzo Jean-Michel Quesne Helene Richard
The horses of Bartholdi represent the four rivers of Heaven galloping towards the four cardinal points. The mirrors reflect the dreams of eerie nymphs. The plaza is the river. In the middle of the scene is the fountain. The stream is a reflection of the world. Light beams project myths and metaphors of rivers onto the facades, the facades are reflected into the water, images of the city dance like mirages.
Les couleurs flottantes, Daniel Tillier
The colours, entrusted to the inhabitants, were paraded down from the heights of Saint Rambert, Industrie and Vergoin quarters, were dropped into the river at Ile Barbe island. Like lily pads floating in an illuminated choreography, the colours glided peacefully down the Saone.
Laurent Langlois
Projection de Lumieres, Olivier Charrier
At first, a calm and solemn atmosphere reigns over the entire facade. Slowly, a change in music endows the architecture with new character, through the accentuation of shapes, fine details and colours. Suddenly this architectural contortion act explodes and the facade crumbles into pieces revealing the interior of the church.
information:
www.lyon.fr