Sonepar Sud-Est: acknowledged expertise
Today, more and more elected officials and business leaders realize that good lighting is no longer a luxury, but rather a genuine opportunity to improve the atmosphere for local residents and the workplace for employees.
To achieve these effects, a global vision of the chain leading from project manager to installer is vital. This level of expertise is also needed to effectively showcase the historical monuments and architectural heritage of small and mid-sized towns. “Being close and yet having global reach are two qualities that make Sonepar Sud-Est a multi-disciplinary player in the electrical field, whose role is not limited to that of simple wholesaler – on the contrary,” notes Dominique Vinay, chairman of Sonepar Sud-Est.
This ambition is aptly reflected in the Lighting Plan that was defined for the city of Lyon and, more recently, for the city of Marseille. “La Fête des Lumières (The Festival of Lights) is an open door through which the city of Lyon shines every December well beyond the borders of France,” he adds. “This city can legitimately lay claim to the title of France’s lighting capital, since it brings together in the LUCI* network more than 60 of the world’s municipalities. From small lamps to LEDs, with the benefit of the newest technologies, Sonepar Sud-Est brings us ideal solutions, without which the Fête des Lumières would simply not have the same luster,” enthuses Jean Pavillard, the project head for the city of Lyon. “A marvelous opportunity for visitors to feel their feet planted firmly in the past while turning their gaze resolutely toward the future.”
From the most representative classical or contemporary edifices to passageways and public squares, an incandescent heart opens up for a few days around the 8th of December to more than 3 million people, who are attracted by the festive and sociable atmosphere, which becomes stronger with each passing year.
On the shores of the Mediterranean, the example set by Lyon is being followed attentively by officials in Marseille, a city convinced of the need to illuminate the city’s arterials at all times. “We are obviously attached to the beauty of public lighting, but we are even more sensitive to the importance from a functional perspective, particularly insofar as proper lighting contributes to a sense of well-being and safety,” explains Jacqueline Magne, the deputy mayor of Marseille appointed to oversee the city’s lighting and its Lighting Plan. “It has a real impact on the inhabitants of a city.”
Advice and support
One of the greatest strengths of Sonepar Sud-Est lies in its ability to combine a team of technical lighting advisors (based in Lyon)** with the NRA*** (13 specialized agencies covering the Southeast of France) and Maclary**** (2 agencies located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region) networks. Every lighting project starts with experts who listen and help formulate needs so that the right technical solutions can be found. “Whether we’re talking about lighting a seventeenth century chapel, the dining room of one of the Lyon’s gourmet restaurants or the headquarters of a large corporation, the experts at Sonepar Sud-Est help the designer meet this challenge,” recognizes Alain Bénini, architect for the Hôpitaux Civil de Lyon and designer of the Light Cube (Cube de Lumière) installed in the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu for last year’s Fête des Lumières.
Lighting school
Several events inspired in recent years by Lyon’s Fête des Lumières have helped architectural lighting find its rightful place in the spotlight. Including this aspect in the larger municipal strategy for showcasing the local heritage requires the involvement of professionals who are experts in their field. This trend was behind the creation in 2001 of a professional degree in Lighting Design and Management. One of the driving forces behind this project, Sonepar Sud-Est worked with Lycée Bellevue, a high school, and the Université Jean Moulin Lyon III to offer twenty rigorously selected students high-quality instruction that combines theory and practice. Applications come in from all over Europe, attesting to the timeliness and success of the degree program.
* LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) brings together municipalities from around the world to form an international network of cities of light. LUCI, chaired by the city of Lyon, is a forum where cities can meet, compare experiences and share their skills. It offers the chance to move together towards better use of light, turning light into a major tool in urban life, architecture and development. Today, LUCI has more than 60 members from all over the world, and organizes events around the globe. Light brings the history of the world’s greatest cities to life.
** Guy Marchi, Alain Meyer, Philippe Losilla
*** NRA: network of lighting agencies
**** Maclary: network of lighting agencies
