Led Lights Transform The Tour Montparnasse
Of Paris's Montparnasse Tower it is often said, light-heartedly, that the views from the top of the tower are some of the most beautiful in Paris because it is the only location in the city from which the 690 foot tall edifice cannot be seen.
While the tower's unsightliness may sound exaggerated, it is worth remembering that after its construction in 1972, the monolithic Tour Montparnasse was thought to be such an architectural eyesore that Paris authorities prohibited the construction of any more skyscrapers in the area.
Now the inauguration of a new LED Lighting system by Royal Philips Electronics is expected to soften the appearance of the tower, making it a major visual landmark in the Parisian night sky.
With the help of urban and architectural lighting firm Agence Lumire, whose other accomplishments include the Fort Saint Jean in Marseille, the company have implemented a unique lighting solution that is not only sustainable, but also changes colour in accordance with the temporal rhythm of the seasons.
The tower's 56 floors have been outfitted with an LED system comprising 972 dynamic LED battens and 58 LED spotlights, which were installed over the course of 8 months, between August 2011 and February 2012.
The LED lights are controlled by a high speed Ethernet network that allows their colour and brightness to be changed at the touch of a button. The lights have four fundamental scenarios, one to match each of the four seasons: green for spring, blue for summer, orange and yellow for autumn and white/deep blue in winter.
A fifth setting called "festival" enables the lights' sceneography to harmonize with the various events and festivals that take place in the capital such as La Nuit Blanche (the White Night) and La Fete de la Musique (the Music Festival).
For the thirteenth tallest tower in Europe, and the tallest in the French capital, appearances are also now very deceiving. Despite its formidable size, the energy consumption of the tower's entire light system is now the same as 10 irons! This is because, according to Philips, the new LED Lights use less than 10% of the energy of their fluorescent predecessors.
The maintenance cost is also virtually non-existent, as the lights are expected to last roughly 15 years. The new lights have also lowered lights pollution by reducing the buildings luminance three times over.
The Montparnasse Tower is now a testament to the prestige, adaptability and sustainability of low energy LED lighting, rather than a monument to poor urban planning.
While the tower's unsightliness may sound exaggerated, it is worth remembering that after its construction in 1972, the monolithic Tour Montparnasse was thought to be such an architectural eyesore that Paris authorities prohibited the construction of any more skyscrapers in the area.
Now the inauguration of a new LED Lighting system by Royal Philips Electronics is expected to soften the appearance of the tower, making it a major visual landmark in the Parisian night sky.
With the help of urban and architectural lighting firm Agence Lumire, whose other accomplishments include the Fort Saint Jean in Marseille, the company have implemented a unique lighting solution that is not only sustainable, but also changes colour in accordance with the temporal rhythm of the seasons.
The tower's 56 floors have been outfitted with an LED system comprising 972 dynamic LED battens and 58 LED spotlights, which were installed over the course of 8 months, between August 2011 and February 2012.
The LED lights are controlled by a high speed Ethernet network that allows their colour and brightness to be changed at the touch of a button. The lights have four fundamental scenarios, one to match each of the four seasons: green for spring, blue for summer, orange and yellow for autumn and white/deep blue in winter.
A fifth setting called "festival" enables the lights' sceneography to harmonize with the various events and festivals that take place in the capital such as La Nuit Blanche (the White Night) and La Fete de la Musique (the Music Festival).
For the thirteenth tallest tower in Europe, and the tallest in the French capital, appearances are also now very deceiving. Despite its formidable size, the energy consumption of the tower's entire light system is now the same as 10 irons! This is because, according to Philips, the new LED Lights use less than 10% of the energy of their fluorescent predecessors.
The maintenance cost is also virtually non-existent, as the lights are expected to last roughly 15 years. The new lights have also lowered lights pollution by reducing the buildings luminance three times over.
The Montparnasse Tower is now a testament to the prestige, adaptability and sustainability of low energy LED lighting, rather than a monument to poor urban planning.
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