L'Observatoire International

L'Observatoire International L'Observatoire International is an award winning lighting design firm.

L’Observatoire, founded in 1993 by Herve Descottes, is a team of lighting designers and architects with expertise in various typologies.

“Chiaroscuro” describes the strong contrast between light and dark elements within an artwork. This technique is often u...
09/06/2026

“Chiaroscuro” describes the strong contrast between light and dark elements within an artwork. This technique is often used to create a dramatic effect, enhancing the three-dimensional quality of the subject while evoking a sense of depth and volume. It is particularly associated with paintings that manipulate light and shadow to create a dynamic composition. The term relates to the Italian words “chiaro” (= light,) and “scuro” (dark), reflecting the contrast between these two elements in the artwork.

(from left to right: Rembrandt, Adriaen van Ostade, George de la Tour, Gérard Dou, George de la Tour)

The city understood the assignment. Let’s go Knicks 💙🧡
08/06/2026

The city understood the assignment. Let’s go Knicks 💙🧡

WE ARE HIRING | LONDON & NEW YORK BASED | If you are a passionate Lighting Designer and ready to work on some of the top...
08/06/2026

WE ARE HIRING | LONDON & NEW YORK BASED | If you are a passionate Lighting Designer and ready to work on some of the top architectural, residential, or commercial projects around the world – this one’s for you!
 
L’Observatoire International is looking for:
Mid-Level and Senior Lighting Designers | New York
Mid-Level Designers | London

Please share your cover letter, resume, and portfolio with: [email protected] with the subject line: Designer London or Designer New York. 

***These are “in-office” positions only (not remote)! We are looking forward to hearing from you! 

 

Reimagined, refreshed, and reconnected to its surroundings, the renewed outdoor spaces of the Blanton Museum of Art tran...
05/06/2026

Reimagined, refreshed, and reconnected to its surroundings, the renewed outdoor spaces of the Blanton Museum of Art transform the visitor experience beyond the gallery walls. Monumental petal-like canopies rise toward the Texas sky, casting ever-changing patterns of light and shadow across the courtyard, while native plantings and immersive artworks create a vibrant dialogue between landscape, architecture, and art.

Lighting plays a subtle but essential role, extending the museum’s artistic spirit into the evening hours and enhancing the sculptural qualities of the space. As daylight fades, the interplay of illumination and shadow reveals new perspectives, inviting visitors to experience the courtyard as an outdoor gallery in its own right.
 
Design Architect: Snohetta
Local Architect: Architexas
Client: Blanton Museum of Art
Lighting Design: L’Observatoire International
Team: Hervé Descottes, Carlos Garcia, Jenny Ivansson, Esteban Varas, Sai Lyu, Ellisrael Daing

Photos: Casey Dunn courtesy of Blanton Museum of Art, L’Observatoire Intl

Minimizing the negative environmental effects of lighting, which includes energy efficiency and Dark Sky light-pollution...
04/06/2026

Minimizing the negative environmental effects of lighting, which includes energy efficiency and Dark Sky light-pollution
protocols is a top priority for L’Observatoire International.

A conversation with  on how architects and developers use lighting as their “not-so-secret weapon to a successful project”, optimizing the experience of a space by confirming it instead of just illuminating it. 

Bamboo Cloud focuses on the relationships between inherent material properties and their potential applications beyond c...
03/06/2026

Bamboo Cloud focuses on the relationships between inherent material properties and their potential applications beyond convention, finding organic ways to create shade in urban landscapes. Traditionally, bamboo is applied on the scale of handcraft, yet now, it has been recently popularized as the most organic, sustainable construction material beyond its commonly applied fields. 

Woven through methods similar to basket weaving, Bamboo Cloud’s overall construction and creativity breaks with convention. Bamboo Cloud, will hover over the Pier’s promenade, a porous volume made of woven bamboo strips, naturally finding its form through resiliency of the material.
L’Observatoire International collaborated with llLab. by washing Bamboo Cloud aglow with light. A partnership with Nanometer Lighting with Color Kinetics, suppliers of advanced technology high efficiency lighting.

Architectural Designer: IlLab.
Client: Shaw & Co. Productions
Lighting Design: L’Observatoire International
Team: Hervé Descottes, Carlos Garcia, Esteban Varas, Jacinda Ross, Diksha Wahi

Jacinda Ross received her Bachelor’s in Architecture at the University of Wisconsin. With a special interested in the re...
01/06/2026

Jacinda Ross received her Bachelor’s in Architecture at the University of Wisconsin. With a special interested in the relationship between the experience of spaces and light, she continued her education at Parsons School of Design with a dual Master’s in Architecture and Lighting. Her theses investigates the idea of re-envisioning urban rooftops as potential place-makers with light-embracing architectural geomitires.

Jacinda joined L’Observatoire International in June 2021 which makes her fifth anniversary this monhs.

Her projects include the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland (slide 3-4), Gallery Twentyfourseven in New York (5), Le Jardin sur Madison (6-7) and ABC Kitchen Dumbo (8-9) among many more. Ross has continued involvement in lighting academia by teaching at Parsons and has juried for design studios at Parsons, Pratt, Drexel University in Philadelphia, and California College of the Arts in San Francisco. In 2023, she won a 40 under 40 award from Light Collective Internationally.
 

While Paris sweltered through an unexpected May heatwave, our team visited Clair-obscur at the Bourse de Commerce. A tim...
31/05/2026

While Paris sweltered through an unexpected May heatwave, our team visited Clair-obscur at the Bourse de Commerce. A timely exploration of shadow, atmosphere, and our evolving relationship with light.

Curated by Emma Lavigne, the exhibition transforms the building into a crepuscular landscape, moving through fog, darkness, incandescence, and emergence. Across works by Saodat Ismailova, Bill Viola, Victor Man, Wolfgang Tillmans, Pierre Huyghe, and others, light becomes memory, refuge, spirituality, and a lens through which to consider our changing world. On view through August 24th.

At Chateau Marmont, lighting extends the atmosphere, iconic architecture and landscape. The transition between indoor an...
28/05/2026

At Chateau Marmont, lighting extends the atmosphere, iconic architecture and landscape. The transition between indoor and outdoor spaces feels intentionally seamless. Warm interior glows gently spill into gardens and pathways, allowing guests to move fluidly between the intimacy of the hotel’s interiors and the cinematic mystery of its exterior grounds.

Outdoor lighting is carefully integrated into the surrounding greenery rather than imposed onto it. Fixtures remain subtle and often concealed within planting, stonework, or architectural details. The result is a delicate play of illumination and shadow across pathways leading to the bungalows, creating moments of intrigue and quiet discovery. Rather than over-lighting the landscape, the approach prioritizes restraint. This sensitivity to darkness creates depth and intimacy.

Interior Designer: Shawn Hausman Design
Client: André Balazs Properties
Lighting Design: L’Observatoire Intl
Team: Hervé Descottes, Natalia Priwin
 

Earlier this month, Le Sirenuse Mare opened its doors in Nerano — a project where lighting was approached as an extensio...
26/05/2026

Earlier this month, Le Sirenuse Mare opened its doors in Nerano — a project where lighting was approached as an extension of the landscape itself. Low-energy LED systems were carefully integrated throughout the beach club to minimize glare and light pollution while enhancing the nighttime hospitality experience. Rather than competing with the surrounding coastline, the lighting gently reveals textures, pathways, and gathering spaces, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and deeply connected to the natural environment.

Design Architect: Achitetti Artigiani Anonimi
Client: Antonio Sersale
Lighting Design: L’Obsevatoire Intl
Team: Hervé Descottes, Francesco Secone

Drone photos:  Roberto salomone for Le Sirenuse Mare

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