Overall, Toshiba will provide a total of 3200 LED light fittings to replace 4500 xenon light fittings. The LED retrofit will cut annual power consumption for the exterior lighting by 73%, from 392,000W to 105,000W. Six different fixture types, including 15-LED linear fixtures for the Pyramid (Fig. 2), and exterior floodlights (Fig. 3), were purpose-designed for the Louvre installation. The lighting had to meet various technical specifications, but also meet certain subjective and aesthetic requirements. Takayoshi Moriyama, a Toshiba lighting specialist, explained how the project differed from a typical one. “We would typically use tools such as specification drawings which would be finalized by the sales manager after consultation with the client,” he said. “We would then make a prototype of the fixture, re-check its optical and electrical performance and – barring any problems – progress from product development to product certification in a short time frame, with delivery date as the top priority.” Although Toshiba’s prototypes and specifications were approved by the Louvre’s technical directorate, they were then subject to a second, detailed screening by the museum Director and the Historical Monuments Committee of Paris. Moriyama said there was considerable debate about the size, shape and color temperature of the fixtures (2700K was eventually settled on). “We had to harmonize the fixtures with the building as part of the scenery,” he said.
Vision and branding