Sunday, December 24, 2006

Chief Lighting Architect of the City of Light

The Saturday Times (my favored of the two weekend editions) has a profile of Francois Jousse, who manages exterior lighting for the city of Paris' landmarks. This is a skill (alongside landscape architecture) that I came to appreciate during my time in New York.


Indeed, Mr. Jousse, a 64-year-old engineer, is the troubleshooter for the City of Light. As chief engineer for doctrine, expertise and technical control, he is responsible for lighting 300 of the monuments, official buildings, bridges and boulevards of the French capital.

Working with a staff of 30 decorative lighting specialists at a City Hall annex, Mr. Jousse helps create new lighting projects, lectures experts, negotiates with powerful players like the Roman Catholic Church and resolves technical problems at sites throughout the city.




As the Sun Sets, a Parisian’s Masterpiece Comes to Life - The New York Times