YOU ARE THE LIGHT

You Are The Light is a gentle care center project located in Paris 7th district, conceived as a spatial experience deeply rooted in perception, time and the body. From the outset, light forms the conceptual matrix of the project. It is neither an addition nor a decorative layer, but a structuring principle, inseparable from architecture, volumes and use.

The space unfolds across two levels with contrasting luminous qualities. The ground floor, generously infused with natural daylight through street-facing windows and multiple skylights, remains connected to the rhythm of the day. The lower level, devoid of natural light, invites a more inward, quieter experience. This duality becomes the foundation of an architectural circadian approach, where light accompanies states of being, temporalities and care practices.

Natural light establishes a living relationship with the exterior, the sky and the passing of time. It shapes first perceptions, supports grounding and contributes to balance. Artificial light is conceived as a complementary presence, extending these qualities with restraint and precision when daylight fades, while preserving the continuity of atmospheres.

At the heart of the project, You Are The Light unfolds as an intimate affirmation. Each care room was envisioned to host a specific neon element, designed as a gentle luminous script inspired by the Parisian archetype of neon signage, brought indoors with controlled brilliance. Through words or symbolic imagery, these luminous presences echoed a shared intention: to remind each person that light does not only emanate from space, but also from within.

These elements belonged to an architecture of perception, where light becomes a point of reference, a companion, a breath. Calibrated to the nature of the care, to emotional intensity and to needs of focus or release, light supported a deeply attentive and embodied care experience.

You Are The Light is a non-realized project, consciously discontinued when its founding vision could no longer be upheld. It remains a quiet manifesto of Atelier dada’s approach: an architecture of light centered on the human experience, where care begins with the quality of space, attention and perception.