The annual Fête des Lumieres in Lyon has grown to become a significant urban lighting event. An important part of the most recent celebrations was a new lighting design for the municipal library – known locally as the Book Silo. Lighting designers Guillaume Jeol and Atelier Roland Jeol worked with Pharos partner Soliled to highlight the building as a striking architectural landmark.
Working to a brief from the contracting authority City of Lyon, a Pharos LPC4 was used to give the library a specific identity through the use of custom and sustainable lighting. 386m of LED linear luminaires, 123 fluorescent tubes and LED fixtures are controlled wirelessly to enable activation by photocells to automatically turn on when darkness falls, with a resulting 80% increase in efficiency levels. All fixtures are totally integrated into the building’s structure and facades, and no fixtures are directed towards the sky to prevent lighting pollution.
The permanent cool white lighting of the Book Silo on the north and south building facades evoke the edges of a book on a shelf, while the spiral stairway shines with a warm light in reference to the gilding on ancient books. The horizontal lines of the lighting points emerge from both sides of the facade in different lengths, fading towards the centre to symbolize the emergence of modern digital communication and information technology.
The imposing volume of this 48 m high, perfectly shaped parallelepiped building, presents a levitation effect visible from a number of perspectives across the district of Lyon. The basement is flooded with a warm orange-yellow light to underline the impression of perpetual activity. The intelligent solutions offered by Pharos controllers present a perfect metaphor for the knowledge contained inside.
