Notre Dame Refitted with LED Lights

The Notre Dame de Paris just got an electronic facelift. Last week, tech company Royal Philips supplied the 13th century Gothic cathedral with a brand new LED lighting scheme that exposes details of the church that have never been seen before. The new lighting illuminates the rose windows regardless of exterior lighting while a near-invisible spotlight reveals details of the renowned sculpture, “Virgin and Child.”

Not only do these new lights dramatize the cathedral, but a computerized system orchestrates all 400 luminaires. The system is able to adjust the mood lighting based on what events are taking place and what exterior light is coming through the windows. The new LED system also has an installed capacity of 30kW compared to the previous 140kW capacity, reducing energy consumption by 80 percent.

While some may miss the more traditional dim lighting of the cathedral, the new LEDs allow visitors to glimpse into the previously darkened vaults and corners of the cathedral and retrieve a new understanding of an old monument.