Lighting the “Petite Agora” at the Biennale de Versailles

Location: Versailles, France
Credit: © Sammode

Dedicated to sharing and debate, and designed by Jean-Christophe Quinton for ÉNSA Versailles, the “Petite Agora” is part of a refined architectural style, open to the Château de Versailles. On the occasion of the Biennale d’architecture et de paysage 2025, this temporary structure asserts its status as a place for sharing, where light becomes a vector of spatiality.

To accompany this light, vertical architecture, Sammode developed a lighting solution in keeping with the project’s intent. In the lower section, the Elgar luminaire underlines the rhythm of the structure, drawing lines of light that extend the momentum of the uprights and reinforce their verticality – like a small cathedral of light. The light, soft and controlled, reveals fullness and emptiness, contributing to the pavilion’s interior atmosphere.

The whole system is controlled via a connected system that modulates intensity according to use. In particular, a “conference” mode has been designed to dim the lighting and create a more intimate atmosphere, conducive to listening. This control system was implemented in collaboration with Tridonic for the electronic components and Rayflexion for the integration.

A structure that can be dismantled and reused, the “Petite Agora” can be relocated for future events in line with Sammode’s focus on reuse, in the service of a more responsible architecture, attentive to the sustainability of materials.