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Chic, Contemporary Christmas – The Champs- lys es’ Christmas illuminations

Opinion

Champs-Élysées' Christmas illuminations Paris France

Related: The Wax Museum After Dark / Themed Design: The Attraction of Scent

By Mikkel Sonne

The design consists of three lighting rings encircling each tree on the avenue, but without touching it. The outside of the ring is an LED strip, giving a glow of light, while the inside LED strip lights up the tree itself and mirror discs hanging on the branches of the tree will reflect the light rays in all directions as they move freely in the wind.

The installation will change color, intensity and rhythm and will have a special colour scheme for the days of, before and after Christmas. For New Years Eve a special light show will be programmed, with the twelve strokes of midnight being visualised all along the Champs-Élysées.

The concept is designed by Koert Vermeulen and Marcos Viñals Bassols, from Belgian ACT lighting design, who has experience of show lighting (among their many projects – Le Rêve at the Wynn in Las Vegas and the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010), themed attractions (Futuroscope, Tivoli, Center Parcs, Parc Asterix) and countless outdoor lighting projects.

And now ACT is combining their experience from these diverse projects into what seems to be a very contemporary street theatre show. Principal designer Koert Vermeulen states that they wanted to break away from the traditional Christmas lighting designs and create something with a strong identity. And a green one, too. The new lighting scheme will have a 51% energy consumption compared to last year.

Champs-Élysées’ new Christmas illuminations will be inaugurated November 23rd and will be on show every Christmas till 2014.

Champs-Élysées' Christmas illuminations Paris France

Photo credit: ACT lighting design

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Rachel Reed

Rachel Read

Rachel is co-founder and FD of blooloop. She has a degree in engineering from Cambridge University, is a Chartered Accountant and has a certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Responsibility from London Business School. Rachel oversees our news, events and sustainability.

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