Sonepar: Mr. Lucchini, could you give us a quick introduction to your company and its areas of expertise?
Olivier Lucchini: Novae has been operating for about twenty years, and the business has been growing quite well. We have a strong presence in the Paris area as well as abroad, especially in the Balkans.
The clientele we serve is extremely diverse, to say the least. We have a number of sterling references that include the Jardin des Plantes** and the Georges Pompidou Center,*** and we work in partnership with them all year around.
Sonepar: You’ve also worked for the Musée des Arts Premiers. What exactly were you commissioned to do?
O.L.: We were commissioned to provide lighting for both the ground-floor and terrace gardens, which form a huge platform with a hanging pond. We started work on this vast project in early 2006. It took a tremendous amount of time, energy and research, but it ultimately represents a fantastic reference for us. A team of about 30 people were involved, 10 of them working full-time on the premises. The entire installation consists of LED lighting. It was finished in June, in time for the inauguration of the Museum.
Sonepar: Why did you choose to work with Franco-Belge (CEFB)?
O.L.: Because their teams are extremely 
competent and they give us access to an unusually wide range of products. We have been working with Franco-Belge via CEFB’s Aubervilliers branch for several years now. The company is one of our providers of choice.
So it seemed obvious that we should be joining up with CEFB on the Museum garden project. We were sure that the company could meet the full range of our needs in relation to this commission.
Because we needed advice on how to achieve specific lighting effects, we tapped into their SESAME Lighting Unit, which enabled us to leverage their know-how and professional expertise.
* The new Quai Branly Museum in Paris hosts a collection of 300,000 traditional artifacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. After five years of construction work, the building designed by Jean Nouvel was inaugurated in June 2006, with the aim of promoting dialog between cultures.
** The Paris Botanical Gardens represent the continuation of the Royal Garden of Medicinal Plants, open to the public since 1640.
*** Opened in 1977, this unique cultural center in Paris is devoted entirely to modern and contemporary creative work.
