POINÇON

Poinçon is a project for the reconversion of the former Montrouge railway station, located along Paris’s Petite Ceinture, envisioned as a cultural café open to all, combining food, exhibitions, debates and, at times, more festive uses.

Atelier dada was involved during the study phase to develop a conceptual reflection and lighting design proposals, based on a name and program defined by the project initiator. The work was grounded in a careful reading of the site, its architecture, its railway history and its urban perceptions.

The building, modest in scale, is primarily perceived at close range from Avenue du Général Leclerc, while its upper volume engages with the city at mid-distance. Particular attention was paid to the angled façades, secondary views from Rue de Coulmiers, and the more intimate relationship with the Petite Ceinture, long perceived as a dark and overlooked corridor.

Within this framework, Atelier dada proposed the use of neon as a luminous medium, both graphic and textual, in connection with the identity of the place and its nocturnal presence. Starting from the name Poinçon, several conceptual directions were developed, exploring different possible lighting translations. Among them, a reflection inspired by a song by Serge Gainsbourg led to a luminous language based on punctuations, rhythms and “small holes of light,” expressed through contours, points of light, bands or projections, always in dialogue with the existing architecture.

Light is conceived as a tool of revelation, capable of highlighting the architectural language of the building, evoking its railway memory and accompanying its transformation into a living place. The proposals explore a range of atmospheres, from sober and discreet expressions to more festive ones, depending on uses and temporalities.

This project was developed by Atelier dada as a design and research study. The lighting design proposals, texts, drawings and images produced constitute original works protected by copyright. The lighting concept developed by Atelier dada was not implemented, and the studio was not commissioned for the execution phase.

© Atelier dada.
The lighting design proposals, texts, images and documents produced by Atelier dada as part of the Poinçon project constitute original works protected by copyright. Any reproduction or use of these elements without prior written authorisation is prohibited.