The Revitalist

Notre Dame's new lighting scheme, simple and dramatic.

Toronto's Globe and Mail has an interview with the man behind the lighting concepts for most of Paris' most famous architectural treasures, including the most recently lit, Notre Dame Cathedral (via Planetizen). As the Chief Engineer for Doctrine, Expertise and Technical Control for Paris, François Jousse has lit the City of Lights, from simple street lights to complex schemes like the Cathedral. Being Paris, each project had to proceed through a complex web of bureaucratic approvals, but the Cathedral lighting also had to satisfy the Archdiocese who uses the church. The designers had originally wanted to light the famous rose window from the interior so that passersby could see it glow, but the Church objected. Lighting from inside would effectively reverse the image, with theological implications. Mr. Jousse's solution was to project a replica of the image (as seen from the interior) onto the exterior of the window. The interview is amusing, especially if you find the particularities of the French entertaining, and it reminds you of the impact that projects like this can have on the city. Thankfully, Boston has Light Boston to remind us of the gems of our city.