Rue de la République in Lyon, an emblematic piece of LED illumination

On its 40th anniversary, LEC looks back at its contribution to lighting with Guillaume Jéol and Rue de la République in Lyon: a bold, 100%-LED project.

« I developed an LED spotlight that was powerful to light the five floors of the façade, approximately 15 metres high »

Guillaume Jéol, Lighting designer

The illumination of rue de la République in Lyon was an audacious project given that the street is the UNESCO-certified principal artery of Lyon’s city centre. And even more so since it was a large-scale private initiative concerning 25 Haussmannian façades that line the street.

Guillaume Jéol takes us behind the scenes of one of his first projects of such size, completed entirely with LED lighting in 2016.

Guillaume Jéol recalls his collaboration with LEC

The general idea was to illuminate all 25 façades to enhance the street’s perspective. We wanted to create lighting that brought out the rich Haussmannian architecture, with its stonework and terrace ironwork, and that boosted the overall volume of the buildings, without adding too much material.

If we go back to 2008, LED technology was still in its infancy, but we thought it necessary to use this technology with more guarantees regarding the type of optic, the power, the temperature and the lifespan, so the durability of the installation. It in these circumstances that I turned towards a 100%-LED solution.

Illumination of rue de la République in Lyon, a private initiative for 25 Haussmannian façades

Creating bespoke LED lighting

LEC had a product suitable for the project and the expertise to adapt it. Thanks to the flexibility and agility of its research department, we managed to create a bespoke optic with a standard luminaire. Then we invited the City of Lyon, the customer and the Architectes des Bâtiments de France to certify the solution…that is exactly how I like to work!

I knew that LEC perfectly understood the lighting designer profession. Nevertheless, I observed a rise in its production with the arrival of powerful LED lighting, not just to extend its catalogue, but to meet very precise specifications.

That demonstrates their professionalism.

Powerful LED lighting, economical and discreet

I was very pleasantly surprised by the result. It was one of my first projects of such scale that I carried out completely with LED technology. I particularly liked working on the photometry and on minimising loss of lumen output. We had an optimal result which uses very little power.

Furthermore, we have received lots of positive feedback on the both the night-time look and the daytime visual. We overcame our challenge to harmoniously blend in with the site’s architecture without making the material too visible.

⇒ Did you know?
In 1977, LEC decided to focus all its attention on LED technology. These decades of dedicated expertise have allowed the company to meet strict requirements in terms of reliability, efficiency, maintenance and aesthetic appeal. Relive with us 40 historic years devoted to LED technology and the lighting industry.