In the Clichy-Batignolles Commercial Area (ZAC) in Paris, 17th district
The transformation of the railway industrial wasteland was initially imagined to host the Olympic village, during Paris’ application in 2012. The city of Paris aims to create in the 54-ha commercial area (ZAC) the entire section of a contemporary city that is pleasant to live in and certified ‘green neighborhood’. The Martin Luther King Park belongs to the ZAC commercial area and is still being developed; ultimately, it will offer 11.2 ha of green space, including gardens, playgrounds, sports trails, basins and water jets, as well as a skate park.
The lighting of the park has been approached with constant care for sustainable development and high environmental standards, thanks to progressive lighting turn-off to limit light pollution and preserve nocturnal biodiversity in Paris.
The lighting of the Martin Luther King Park has been designed so as to visually delimit the temporary boundaries of the site adjacent to large railway infrastructures; to create diverse and attractive nighttime atmospheres, and to liven up the nocturnal image of the park from adjacent residential buildings.
Blue light beacons affixed to 6-meter high wooden poles autonomously powered through a photovoltaic system highlight the small railway belt, which unfolds into a large curve along the bank of the Northern basins of the park, A system of rotating projectors affixed on tall poles, shaped as metallic girders as typically done to light up railway tracks, and that originally belonged to the site, illuminates the big, diagonal axis which goes through the entire park.