Located on the domain of the Saint Cloud Park, the National Ceramics Museum is among the 23 buildings designated Historical Monuments of the Sèvres City of Ceramics. This large building, erected by the architect Landin in 1876, unveils its main 120-meter long facade along the Seine river, and can be discovered from the quay, by foot, by car, of from the tramway.
The city of Sèvres planned for the illumination of the main facade of the museum as part of the public lighting renovation Public-Private Partnership for the cities of Sèvres and Boulogne-Billancourt.
This polychrome lighting design has been conceived in reference and in reverence to the famous ‘Sèvres blues’ that are characteristic of Sèvres ceramics. It comes to delicately glaze the ordained facade, of which remarkable pediments, columns and architectural details are highlighted, with an outline of golden light reminiscent of the golden threads decorating ceramics.
At the end of the week or during specific events related to the life of the museum, the large facade comes to life with a shimmer of various blue lights ranging from cyan to deep blue. During the week, the gleaming illumination is paired down, leaving a fixed image to contemplate.
This lighting design plays an important role in the nocturnal landscape of the Seine riverfront, and asserts its presence from far away from the Sèvres Bridge as well as from the opposite bank.