Montreal's landmark Notre-Dame Basilica has installed over 150 LED fixtures from Lumenpulse Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance, architectural LED-based lighting solutions. A designated national historic site, the Basilica has used Lumenpulse's innovative technology to completely redesign the structure's exterior lighting scheme, halving total energy consumption while accentuating the building's heritage architecture.

"The Notre-Dame Basilica is a landmark project that demonstrates that LED technology is up for any challenge," said François-Xavier Souvay, Lumenpulse President and CEO. "It shows how much flexibility Lumenpulse LED luminaries offer designers, and what kind of impact they can have in terms of maintenance and energy savings," he said.

Designed by firm Éclairage Public, the Basilica's new lighting design has cut energy consumption by 50% (from 22,000W to 11,000W) and slashed annual maintenance and relamping costs, with Lumenpulse's LED luminaries providing ten times the life expectancy (120,000 hours vs. 12,000 hours).

Éclairage Public took advantage of the optical precision of LED lighting to pinpoint special features of the architecture, avoiding a traditional floodlighting approach that flattens features. The firm used a variety of Lumenfacade and Lumenbeam fixtures to illuminate archways, spotlight statues and backlight features on the roof and towers. This innovative mix of lighting techniques creates a dramatic contrast between light and shadow, which better defines the building's architectural details and presence on the streetscape.

"With LED, you can adapt the light sources to just about any situation," said Éclairage Public's Gilles Arpin, explaining his decision to work with Montreal-based Lumenpulse. "We compare luminaries from different companies on a regular basis, and Lumenpulse is a local manufacturer of an international calibre."

Montreal's Notre-Dame Basilica was inaugurated in 1829. The church's new lighting design is part of the city's Plan Lumière, a comprehensive re-lighting of important cityscapes and landmarks that have helped spark a renaissance in the Old Montreal district.