Bibliothèque nationale de France – Richelieu Site
Heritage & Culture
Paris | France
2017
Architectural Design
Arch. Bruno Gaudin, Virginie Brégal
Lighting Design
Arch. Massimo Iarussi
Photo
DESIGN DE LUX – Vincent Muracciole
Client
Opérateur du Patrimoine et des Projets Immobiliers de la Culture
A journey through centuries of knowledge and heritage
The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), one of the world’s most important cultural institutions, reopened its historic Richelieu Site in Paris in 2022 after an extensive twelve-year renovation. Originally built in the 17th century as Cardinal Mazarin’s palace, the site today hosts the BnF Museum and its exceptional collections, displayed across some of the building’s most remarkable architectural spaces. The BnF Museum offers visitors an immersive journey through nearly 900 masterpieces: the exhibition path unfolds through some of the site’s most iconic architectural spaces, where lighting plays a fundamental role in shaping the visitor experience and enhancing the perception of each work.
To meet the demanding requirements of museum and heritage lighting, the project features Targetti Zeno projectors, specifically developed to deliver precision, flexibility and visual comfort in exhibition spaces.
Designed for museums and exhibition spaces, the Zeno range offers a comprehensive selection of optics, enabling highly accurate beam control and maximum freedom in lighting design. This flexibility allows curators and lighting designers to adapt the illumination precisely to the dimensions, materials and conservation requirements of each exhibit, while ensuring visual consistency throughout the visitor journey.
In the Museum’s first wing, extending from the Column Room to the Louis XV, Zeno projectors enhance the collections of antiquities through carefully calibrated lighting. The precision of the optical system helps reveal textures, details and materiality while preserving the intimate atmosphere of the spaces. The compact design and refined aesthetics of the projectors also contribute to the discreet integration of the luminaires within the historical architecture, minimizing visual impact while maintaining high lighting performance.
Particular attention was dedicated to the lighting of the Mazarin Gallery, one of the most spectacular interiors of the Richelieu Site and a masterpiece of baroque decoration. Here, Zeno projectors were supplied in a custom gold finish, allowing the luminaires to blend harmoniously with the richly decorated vaulted ceilings and ornate architectural details.
