Paris In The Right Light

The way Paris is lit at night is changing, both its monuments and plazas, and if you want to see this transformation first hand, Pont Saint-Louis is the best place to start. From there, the best nighttime views of Notre Dame can be found. The lighting reveals many architectural features normally missed during daytime.

Paris is committed to reducing the energy consumed in lighting its streets, squares and buildings by 30 per cent by 2020. Most designers agree that Paris is overlit, and the easiest way to save energy is to turn off or dim many of the luminaires.

This article takes you on a tour of some famous (and not so famous) Parisian streets and monuments, guided by the designers who lit them. Such a rare opportunity to see the city from their perspective and hear how and why they chose the lighting solutions that were ultimately installed.

I’m already planning my next trip there to walk in their footsteps.

Julie Allen

01 Mar