Looking at the illuminated amphitheatre in Nîmes you can feel the proud atmosphere which is radiated by the structure. The arena was built 2000 years ago based on the model of the colosseum in Rome. It is a testament to the superior architecture of Roman times. Today, tourists and music audiences or bull fight aficionados gather, where gladiators and athletes once competed.
Drive-over BEGA in-ground luminaires made of stainless steel, with hoods made of cast bronze, were installed in 2006. The robust luminaires blend harmoniously in the historical ambience and perform their task year in year out. Cost-effective discharge lamps generate 15,000 lumen. The entire arena is bathed in uniformly bright light.
The patented design of the in-ground floodlights enables the 21m high façade of the historical structure to be illuminated as far as the bottom edge. A special feature of the luminaire is its linear lower light edge. The light-cone effect prevalent elsewhere, is therefore successfully prevented.
With special metal-cutting technology we were able to work the crocodile theme into the valuable bronze material precisely and enduringly. In this way it was possible to adorn each in-ground luminaire with the city’s emblem. The picture of a crocodile and palm tree originates from an old coin. This currency was used in Nîmes at the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus in the 1st century B.C.
Aside from the amphitheatre, the city has many other monuments that speak of the importance of the ancient city. The so-called “Great Tower” dates back to the 3rd century B.C. and is the oldest original structure in the city. Other witnesses of its glorious past include the Pont du Gard, the Maison Carrée and the historical old town.
Lighting Design Les Eclairagistes Associés (LEA), L. Fachard, J. Frey, Lyon
Photographer Max Schulz, Mühlheim/Ruhr
