A dramatic new chandelier created by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec
with the support and expertise of Swarovski is lighting up the
entrance to the King’s Grand Apartments at the Palace of Versailles.
The award-winning designers created a majestic chandelier made
of Swarovski crystal whose sweeping grace and modern lines
integrate harmoniously with the historically charged location. The
piece, which is over 12 metres high, is suspended in loops from
the ceiling like a luminous transparent chain.
It comprises three interlacing strands, each made of hundreds of Swarovski crystals illuminated by luminous LED light-sources which diffuse a gentle,
continuous and encircling light. These immense, supple lines form
an organic design ruled by the laws of gravity which each viewer
will experience differently as they gradually ascend the two flights
of steps of the Staircase.
To create the chandelier, the designers chose crystal, the material
traditionally used in the making of chandeliers for ceremonial
rooms, in order to establish a strong link between the past and the
present.
They called upon the expertise and technological mastery
of Swarovski, the prestigious Austrian crystal business, which has a
longstanding collaborative relationship with the brothers and has
supported the Palace of Versailles for more than 30 years.
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s creation is a delicate yet complex
alliance of crystal and innovative lighting, two areas in which
Swarovski has long become the point of reference. The project
forms part of Swarovski’s major programme of cultural support and
ongoing patronage of art and design.
Richelle Sibolboro 