A Green Link — Vision

This lighting masterplan for the Tripôle des gares project in Paris, designed by Atelier dada, aims to create a coherent, legible and high-quality connection between three major mobility hubs: Gare de l’Est, Gare Magenta and Gare du Nord. Through a strong and carefully articulated lighting language, the project seeks a comprehensive urban enhancement, redefining both wayfinding and landscape to offer a fluid and engaging continuity at the heart of Paris.

The lighting concept is structured around several complementary objectives. A strong visual identity is established through distinctive and high-quality luminous signals, marking key services and points along the route with unique and lasting installations. This identity acts as a guiding thread, accompanying movement and structuring the nighttime reading of the site.

Orientation and safety form a second essential axis. They are ensured through clearly identifiable lighting elements, a carefully studied rhythm of placement and a clear visual hierarchy, allowing users to navigate the space intuitively, both by day and by night.

The visual experience is enriched through attention to architectural and landscape details. Luminous markers integrated into perforated guardrails highlight their design and cast a soft light along the wall and its surroundings. A discreet lighting integrated into the handrail of the monumental staircase reveals its silhouette, materials and visual impact from the entrance of Rue d’Alsace. Selected architectural and landscape elements are subtly accentuated by projectors and cut-outs integrated into the lighting furniture, adding a measured and refined presence that enhances the character of the site.

Through this approach, light becomes a tool for connection and legibility, transforming the Tripôle des gares into a continuous, welcoming urban sequence rooted in the contemporary uses of the city.

To read about the realised project, click here.

A complementary proposal, developed by Atelier dada on its own initiative, extended this approach to the scale of the railway infrastructure: an interactive sound-and-light installation around the electrical arches of the SNCF tracks at Gare de l’Est. Visible from the platforms, rue d’Alsace, the OKKO Hotel and the stone lattice bridge overlooking the tracks, the installation transformed the railway crossing into a sensitive, luminous and musical sequence. Favourably received by the City of Paris, it is presented in a dedicated publication.

To read about this project, click here.

The video placed behind the hero image presents the musical reference associated with the world of Erik Satie and the lighting installation. Embedded from YouTube, it is accessible here:: Once upon a time in Paris