Observatoire de Paris

Founded in 1667, the Paris Observatory is the largest national research and astronomy centre. This calls for a specific approach to its buildings, which are classified as 'historic monuments'. Vincent Lacroix and his team are responsible for the maintenance of 178 emergency lighting luminaires for the relevant Charles Perrault building. Safety regulations are becoming more stringent, the technical team is being reduced and the relevant building has a unique character. "Attention paid to the safety of people led us to focus on a centralised management system, ETAP Safety Manager, taking into account these three parameters," explains the building's manager.

The Paris Observatory is a magnificent historic building on the Seine's left bank, in the heart of Paris. The building was designed in the 17th century by the French architect Claude Perrault, who also drew up plans for the Louvre's left wing. Still today, the building is the principal astronomical research centre in France. It is furthermore open to visitors who wish to know more about stars and the universe.

Online management

Due to the building's unique nature, it is subjected to stringent security regulations. Vincent Lacroix, the building's manager, must therefore be able to monitor the proper operation of all emergency lighting at all times. But this is becoming more and more difficult given the decreasing number of electricians on his team. That is why he contacted ETAP. "We have been working with ETAP for more than 15 years for general lighting and we can always count on them for advice. As part of an in-depth assessment of the emergency lighting market, they introduced us to ETAP Safety Manager, a system that enables us to control the operation of each emergency lighting luminaire at any time of the day, from any computer. The system alerts us to the type of fault and its location on site, which allows us to be able to step is rapidly and advisedly."

A solution for every space

The level of technology made the difference as well as the meticulous upstream preparation and the guarantee to receive support after implementation: "We had also decided to renew all emergency lighting in the building: especially in the areas that are difficult to access or where there is little traffic. We have identified the emergency lighting that is best suited to each space in collaboration with ETAP," explains Vincent Lacroix. "That is how we found a solution for the historic spaces open to the public in the minimalist design of the K9, whilst the sturdiness of the K2 perfectly meets the requirements of our technical spaces."

Product sheet

• ETAP Safety Manager: centralised and online management of all emergency lighting
• Emergency lighting suitable for any space:
  • Public spaces: 38 K9 luminaires
  • Non-public spaces: 133 K1 luminaires
  • Technical spaces: 7 K2 luminaires