The St. Jean granary, built in the middle ages in Angers, France, does not attract as many visitors as the castles of the Loire nearby. Nevertheless, this impressive half-timbered building is greatly appreciated as part of the town's cultural heritage, and is well worth a visit. A new lighting concept has been recently installed to display the interior in all its glory. Different lighting scenarios are available depending on the particular use of this historic building.

The new lighting for this prestigious community hall blends discreetly in the original architecture with its beams, slate walls and round arches. Whether the hall is being used for a reception hosted by the mayor, a dance evening or a presentation, this historic setting can now provide the perfect framework, thanks to the LED solution and lighting control system from Tridonic. Three preprogrammed lighting scenarios for the 300-plus LED light points can be easily selected on the colour touchscreen. Separate control of the lighting mood is also possible in the three naves created by the arches and pillars.

Exterior of The St. Jean granary in Angers France. (Photo courtesy of Tridonic)

Lighting control wins over the city authorities

The companies involved in the project recommended a modern lighting solution to the city authorities and the Angers Construction Office responsible for its cultural heritage, as this would offer the flexibility to bring out the medieval charm of the former granary. The SLE LED modules from Tridonic selected for the spotlights and downlights offer impressively high efficiency, homogeneous light and a life of 50,000 hours. These modern light sources go perfectly with the historic look of the chandeliers. They are controlled via LED Driver LCAI Eco with extensive dimming and protection functions, supported by DALI and DSI protocols. DALI control modules are also used.

Interior of The St. Jean granary lit up with LEDs.

Thierry Bechtel, responsible for technical support at Tridonic France, describes the challenges presented by the project: “Flexible use of the building was an important basis for the programming. With the touchscreen of our DALI x/e touchPANEL 02 control system I was able to offer the customer the ability to control each zone separately – simply by touching the screen.” Bechtel was also on hand during the commissioning phase for the system. “The customer was able to see precisely how the interior would look during each of the scenarios, such as a 'reception' or 'dance evening'. The atmosphere in the building can be changed to suit any event”, he added. 

A person speaking to visitors at The St. Jean granary.