Fragile and delicate landmark located in the heart of Paris, La Fontaine des Innocents (The Innocents’ Fountain) dates back to the time of Philippe Auguste when poet Villon came there to drink and write a few rhymes. Altogether feminine and decorated with bas-reliefs drawn by Jean Goujon, this historical monument was moved and anchored in the centre of the neighbourhood known as Les Halles during the 18th Century.

In addition to the restoration it will undergo, the lead architect of the National Historical Buildings asked me to give it a poetical touch… to bring it back to life through a delicate use of light : playing on the reflections of the water on the inside curved walls of the arches, the fountain seems to breathe again through the luminous murmur of its waters. Furthermore, I decided to underline the rim of the basins, to magnify the bas-reliefs to reveal the delicate nervure of its sculptures, to put the emphasis on the reflections in the water as it falls from the basins. And, last but not least, to lit up the little point at the climax of its rooftop to give it a new height and direct it towards the sky…