After the Eiffel Tower and other iconic Parisian buildings, the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles will abandon outdoor lighting. This is a symbolic event needed to draw attention to the energy crisis, French Culture Minister Roma Abdul Malak said today.
According to her, starting tonight, the Louvre pyramid will be illuminated until 11:00 in the evening, instead of 1:00 in the morning. A similar decision has already been made for the Eiffel Tower and the Otel de Ville, whose lights will go out earlier than usual.
“Starting next week, we will also turn off the lights on the facade of Versailles Castle at 10 p.m., one hour earlier,” the minister added. Despite these “symbolic measures”, she called for more concrete actions regarding the ecological transition in museums, cinemas, theaters, and in all cultural sites in France.
Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, for example, “reduced energy consumption by a third just by replacing light bulbs and switching to LEDs.” We are trying to do this in all museums, said Reema Abdul Malak. We are negotiating with cinemas to replace the projectors. If they switch to lasers, they can significantly reduce energy consumption, she added.
In recent months, energy prices have risen sharply in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and many efforts are being made to reduce energy resources.