Club Europe 1 9:00 a.m., February 19, 2024
From February 16 to May 25, 2024, the immersive LUMINISCENCE experience will take place in the heart of the capital in the Saint-Eustache Church.
Immerse yourself in a unique multi-sensory experience
After a first stage in the Saint-André Cathedral in Bordeaux, crowned with success with already more than 80,000 spectators, the immersive LUMINISCENCE experience will take place from February 16 to May 25 in the Saint-Eustache church. The opportunity to rediscover one of the most iconic churches in Paris whose western facade has just been restored.
On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the Saint-Eustache parish, LUMINISCENCE invites you to relive the original emotion, that which its great builders sought to arouse during its construction in the 16th century.
Intended by François I as the equivalent of Notre-Dame on the right bank, the construction of the Saint-Eustache church took place over more than a hundred years. Then from the 17th to the 19th centuries, Charles David, Jean Hardouin-
Mansart de Jouy, Pierre-Louis Moreau-Desproux and Victor Baltard were the architects of its peristyle, its annexed buildings and its first restorations. The Saint-Eustache church was frequented both by the people of Les Halles – merchants and artisans – and by key figures in the history of France. Molière and Richelieu were baptized there, Louis
The 360-degree video projections of the LUMINISCENCE show sublimate the architectural qualities and stained glass windows of Saint-Eustache, from its majestic footprint to the slenderness of its vaults more than 30 meters
high. LUMINISCENCE reveals the richness of the building's built heritage between flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance style. The soundtrack, spatialized in 3D, guides the audience through the exceptional acoustics of the church, adding a unique musical dimension to the experience.
The show is also an opportunity to highlight the artistic richness of the church: monumental 17th century stained glass windows by Antoine Soulignac making up the glass roof around the altar, paintings by Simon Vouet, Rubens, François Lemoyne, di Tito, sculptures by Coysevox, de Pigalle, Baltard…and contemporary creations by Keith Haring or Armeleder. The Saint-Eustache church appears to us in its heritage but also modern dimension embodying the vibrant heart of the Halles district of Paris.
The performance, lasting around forty minutes, is structured around three highlights:
Act 1: Architecture and construction
Through the prism of the great builders, from the sketch of the first architectural designs to the meticulous installation of the stained glass windows , this part reveals the secrets of the construction process. The great celebrations that have punctuated the history of the church complete this sequence.
Act 2: Stained glass windows and play of light
By fracturing through the stained glass windows, the beams of sunlight continually transform the perception of the building, in a majestic luminous ballet that evolves from dawn to dusk.
Act 3: Acoustics and music through the ages
Crossing the ages, through various musical eras, from medieval melodies to baroque compositions, this part of the show brings a spiritual depth to the experience, amplified by the exceptional acoustics of the venue .
A musical journey through the centuries
Several exceptional evenings are offered, during which the electronic soundtrack will be enriched by the presence of an ensemble of musicians and singers for a
live performance in synchronization with the 360-degree video projections. Conductors Alexis Duffaure and Bertrand Causse will lead the Saint-Eustache singers and an ensemble of musicians including organ, harp, brass quintet, string quartet and percussion. They will perform in the church choir and perform a repertoire of classical and contemporary music to enhance the light projections, with works by G. Holst, G. Handel, G. Fauré, C. Gounod, A. Dvorak and even L. Vierne.
→ Go to the Club Europe 1 page to try to obtain two invitations!