Place de l’Iris – La Défense
Sustainable lighting adjusts white light to enhance safety and ambiance while protecting the night-time environment
Located in the west of the capital, La Défense is Paris’ main business hub and Europe’s largest business district, spanning 560 hectares. Renowned for its iconic arch-shaped building, the Grand Arche, this modern urban space is home to no less than 500 companies and welcomes more than 180,000 workers every day.
The area has recently undergone a major urban redevelopment to become a living neighbourhood with new offices, art galleries, restaurants, sprawling terraces and gardens to be shared by workers and residents. The public realm was also completely redesigned to connect the different spaces to the surrounding districts and facilitate access for pedestrians and cyclists.
As part of the transformation, Place de l’Iris, the esplanade below the Saint-Gobain Tower was refurbished with a new set of steps to link the area to Courbevoie centre, new paving, new seating and new sustainable lighting for a 24-hour population.
The new lighting had to respect the guidelines defined by the French lighting design practice, Les Eclairagistes Associés (LEA), in the master plan drawn up for the area in 2012. This plan specifies a more human and artistic approach to the night, choreographing movement through the site. The lighting must deliver a warm white light to promote a sense of well-being and enhance connectivity with clear wayfinding.
The lighting designer Sara Castagné, Director of Concepto lighting design agency, was commissioned to light the esplanade and the paths leading to it. As the MODULLUM lights other spaces in this business district, she chose the SHUFFLE to meet the brief and bring the district together.
SHUFFLE, a pole to guide and connect spaces
The highly aesthetic SHUFFLE complements the striking architecture of the surrounding buildings. Moreover it can be customised to integrate several features to guide people in safety and comfort, including 360° light modules, light rings and different heights.
Sara Castagné decided to take advantage of these different assets to distinctly mark a clear path for people using the area. All axes to the north of the esplanade are lit by SHUFFLE poles installed at a height of 3m while the paths to the south are lit by SHUFFLE poles with a height of 3.50m.
The esplanade itself is lit by SHUFFLE poles at a height of 3m with 2 light rings. The light rings are fitted with a cooler shade of white LEDs than the light modules, which have warm white LEDs in line with the lighting guidelines.
Tunable white lighting to meet changing nocturnal needs
Sara Castagné also wanted a tunable white light that would adapt to the needs during the night. The SHUFFLE poles integrate our FlexiWhite solution so that the light levels and the colour temperature can be adapted throughout the night. Two different light scenarios are scheduled for this urban area:
- from the moment the luminaires are switched on until midnight and from 6am in the morning until the luminaires are switched off, the SHUFFLE delivers 100% of the required lighting levels with a warm white 3,000K that creates a relaxing ambiance;
- from midnight until 6am, in the middle of the night when people are rarely moving around, the colour temperature changes to a much warmer white, 2,200K. The spaces are lit with a gentle light that is healthier for the local nocturnal wildlife without impacting safety for people, thus respecting France’s strict public lighting standard, EN13201.
The FlexiWhite system is managed by a DALI driver that was programmed in the factory before delivery.
Well-being for all at night
A total of 37 SHUFFLE, 26 integrating our FlexiWhite solution, were installed on the esplanade and surrounding paths. They ensure the dynamic needs associated with providing necessary public safety while rendering a colour temperature that is more appropriate for the night-time environment.
The new lighting has certainly contributed to energising this urban district by creating an enjoyable experience for both residents and workers after dark. It ensures a safe passage and a sense of well-being, while minimising energy consumption and protecting the local eco-system.