Gardens of Versailles, France

In the 1600’s, the globally renowned Gardens of Versailles served as the site for Louie XIV’s glamorous garden parties, where the king would dazzle guests by lighting up the Garden’s and surrounding architecture with thousands of candles. In an effort to recreate this royal atmosphere, the Gardens are currently being transformed by a 3 year renovation intended to enhance their lighting and bring the many statues, sculptures, and fountains to life like never before.

Working in conjunction with expert French lighting design firm Les Eclairagistes Associates (LEA), Crystal was selected to provide lighting design advice and equipment to illuminate seven of the Garden’s most preeminent fountains, including the famous Fountain of Apollo. Traditionally lit by external lighting, Crystal upgraded each fountain by supplying modern submersible LED lighting. This significantly enhanced the appeal of each fountain by allowing individual water effects and sculptures to be surrounded by their own light source.

Due to the historical significance Gardens of Versailles, the infrastructure of the water supply systems within each fountain had to remain unaltered by the renovation. To ensure the original components were undisturbed, Crystal designed custom stands for each new light that allowed the new LEDs to rest atop the archaic fountain mechanics.

Originally designed by Andre Le Notre (Louie XIV’s head gardener) in 1662, the Gardens have changed very little throughout their storied history. The artistic upgrades that have been made to the garden and fountain lighting represent the most significant alterations the Gardens have experienced in over 400 years. Excitingly, renovations to the Gardens are still ongoing, as the complete restoration of the famed Latona Fountain, the reconstruction of the “Water Theatre” grove, and the introduction of new contemporary art pieces are still to be unveiled.

Covering 800 hectares of land and featuring over 500 sculptures, statues, and fountains, the Gardens of Versailles are the most popular tourist destination in France, drawing 6 million visitors annually. During the summer months, the most noteworthy attraction in the Gardens is the Night Fountain Show, a weekend spectacle that showcases the relit fountains at the height of their powers before culminating in a grand fireworks display.