news

Gallery

France - Renovation through water and light

Located in the heart of the historic centre of Dijon, Place de la Libération offers a perfect setting for the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne, which architecturally dominates in an elegant and imposing way the main square of the lovely French city.

In order to give back the deserved relevance to this beautiful area, while developing it into a strategic part of the urban life, the square has been submitted to a major renovation plan. As it stands on archeological remains, it was not possible to create a green area on it. Therefore, the choice of stone and water was the best possible solution for the restoration of this space that was delivered an architectural coherence from façade to façade.

Perfectly harmonizing with the colour of the existing building façades, the chosen local Comblanchien limestone, featured in a pale beige tone, identifies different areas on the square, which allows now only public transportation traffic and free pedestrian circulation, owing to the removal of the car parking once located in front of the café-restaurant terraces. The global artistic intervention on the square also rediscovered traces of old lanes that now deliver a vintage allure to the pavement.

In the middle of the square a lively animation is provided by three luminous fountains, whose design is based on the layout of the adjacent streets. The architects in charge of the renovation project imagined them as sculptures discreetly positioned on the site, enlivening it with their sparkling water jets. The introduction of water in an area, which gets quite hot in summer, brings a touch of freshness, transforming the square in a joyful playground for children and relaxing area for tourists and by-passers.

Covered by glass panes, these water features are located at ground level allowing, by turning off the fountain mechanisms, the usage of the entire central area of the square during the many outdoor events Dijon is familiar with, such as shows, markets, and exhibitions.

On the occasion of a further lighting renovation of the Place de la Libération, it was decided to highlight the three fountains that are usually animated by sparkling jets of water. The municipality of Dijon entrusted the company Lorrilliard with the lighting design and the installation of the chosen fixtures. According to the selected lighting scheme, 54 Griven Mini WaterLED in RGB colour changing configuration with an IP68 protection degree specific for submerged installation were therefore mounted in the square.

"The installed Griven lighting fixtures definitely met our demanding needs. They have been installed in shallow basins with the help of height-adjustable stainless steel supports designed by us and are controlled via DMX. These compact units produce smooth lighting effects, which perfectly match with the prestigious illumination of the square. Moreover, they offer a total reliability, that is always a must for these kind of submerged installations", asserts Philippe Fusis, business development manager at Lorrilliard.

Small-size fountains and waterfalls, as well as reflecting pools, are the ideal applications for the compact Mini WaterLED, whose heavy-duty AISI 316L stainless steel body may host nine high power RGB or white LEDs. A selection of seven optics groups for alternative beam angle options expands this marine-grade fixture versatility. The superior lumens life assisted by the on-board electronic thermal management exceeds the industry standards lifetime and the certified IP68 Class III rating defines the virtually maintenance free performance.

Products installed:

54 x Mini WaterLED RGB

Credits:

Design and installation: Lorrillard

GRIVEN exclusive distributor for France: Freevox