Anolis enhances with Led luminaires the façade of the Basilica of the Rosary of Lourdes

A new Led lighting system Anolis accentuates the famous exterior façade of the Basilica of the Rosary, in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, a destination par excellence that attracts pilgrims and faithful from all over the world to the South of France.

The impressive architectural lighting of Anolis has been designed and specified by Bruno Le Vacon, founder of the audiovisual design office Blev Organisation, and by Sébastien Gaye, of ACE Event Group, company that has also carried out the installation of the luminaires of this manufacturer.

Each luminaire has been customized at the Anolis factory in the Czech Republic before shipment to France. The delicate and meticulous application of light in this special monument was a great challenge for Bruno Le Vacon, whose task was to enhance the spirituality of a place of worship and sacred to the church.

Le Vacon has a long history of working on events around the Domain, as it is known in Lourdes, comprising 51 hectares and includes 22 different places of worship, in which various lighting elements have been introduced and improved throughout the enclosure in recent years

This specialist encouraged the ecclesiastical hierarchy, including the bishop, to study their lighting proposals to enhance the façade of the Basilica of the Rosary with efficient systems, since until then the exterior lighting was made with old sodium units and required a renovation that highlighted both the splendor of the façade and that was sustainable.

In this sense, the Led was the appropriate technology that, in addition to enhancing the basilica, offers longer service life with lower power consumption and maintenance. The heads of Blev Organisation and ACE Event Group agreed to recommend the Anolis brand to carry out the project.

From the Anolis subsidiary in France, Eric Tabuteau was responsible for carrying out precise field tests with ACE Event to establish the necessary devices and ideal location, after which the specifications and special customization requests were confirmed to start the project before the main summer pilgrimage period began..

Around eighty Anolis luminaires – a blend of Divine 160, Divine 72, ArcPar 150 Outdoors, Eminere 2, 3 and 4, plus ArcSource Outdoor 16MC and ArcSource Outdoor 4MC Pixels- define the intricate stone tapestry of the arches, the crown, the crosses, the statues, the bell towers, the stairs, the square and the lectern of the façade.

Installed in their bases, the statues are illuminated with ArcSource Outdoor 4MC, while the arches and the crown are located the ArcSource Outdoor 16MC, all fixed with special supports to protect the façade.

The two main towers come to life with the power of Divine 72, and the largest arch has Eminere 4 and the smallest with Eminere 2. For general lighting, more Eminere has been placed inside the structure itself, fixed to a hidden rail, while others highlight the wall paintings.

In front of the Basilica of the Rosary, two lattice towers built on the sides have been equipped with Divine, that shoot through the general light, as well as inserting between sculptures and statues to offer fine illuminated details. Each light source is equipped with specific lenses and filters for individual optimization.

The entire system is controlled by Wireless DMX. Since concerts and events are frequently held in the square, it was important to offer control of the lighting installation of the Basilica of the Rosary to incoming productions., so that they can integrate with their own show lighting if they wish.

Other articles on ACE Event Group, Anolis, Basilica of the Rosary, Blev Organisation, Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes