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Jean Nouvel's controversial design for the Musée du Quai Branly - the French national museum of ethnology - brings together 3,500 exquisite objects from around the world in a stunning new building on the banks of the Seine close to the Eiffel Tower. Controversial because, in the lively debate over how these treasures should be displayed, Nouvel came down firmly on the side of drama rather than the more scholarly approach favoured by many members of the academic establishment. The interior of the museum is reminiscent of a long winding cave with objects displayed against a dark and mysterious backdrop. this sinuous theme is continued in the structure of the ceiling which is constructed from steel mesh and undulates as it runs along the length of he building.
The design presented an interesting challenge for the lighting designer, Georges Berne. Projectors installed on the concrete slab four metres above the mesh would spill onto it and compromise the design so they had to be suspended from long metal poles which would position the lamps just above the mesh. It was going to be necessary to aim projectors very accurately but they would be in accessible from above and below. There was also a requirement that each light should be individually dimmable to allow for the different reflectance characteristics of the exhibits and their sensitivity to light.
1,300 black DR2s were supplied and modified by the addition of blue LEDs to make the sensor easier to see in the dark. Soft start was incorporated to improve lamp life and honeycomb louvres were added to achieve optimum glare control.