Château d’Azay-le-Rideau
Listed as a Historic Monument since 1841, the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance. Built in the 16th century under François I, it stands at the heart of the Loire Valley, delicately set on an island in the Indre River.
As part of the site’s comprehensive restoration, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux sought to revive the château’s full architectural nobility through an elegant lighting scheme, faithful to its daytime silhouette while revealing its timeless character.
Lighting designer Noctabene conceived a “new nocturnal narrative”: a subtle enhancement that highlights the finesse of the sculpted ornamentation, the architectural curves, and the poetic reflection of the building in the water. A lighting design that evokes both the site’s majesty and its softness—like a jewel resting on the water.
A bespoke lighting solution
For this exceptional lighting scenography, LEC designed and adapted several fixtures:
- 78 LUMINY 4 – 4040 projectors equipped with ultra-narrow 3° optics, integrated into compact brass housings specially designed for the project.
- 32 custom LED projectors (12 × 3 W) with warm colour temperatures (2,700 K / 3,000 K), mounted on bespoke floating supports that follow the water level, ensuring precise façade lighting from the riverbanks.
The entire system is DMX-controlled, allowing point-by-point adjustment for a finely tuned result down to the smallest detail.
An emblematic project where technical expertise serves the poetry of heritage.
Contracting authority: Centre des Monuments Nationaux
Lighting designer: Noctabene
DMX programmation : Lumières Utiles
Installer: Citéos
