SMART is a sports and research centre designed as an integrated space where architecture, physical activity and technology coexist in a synergistic manner. Located within the Pessac university campus and selected as a training centre for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the complex designed by GPAA architectures covers an area of 4,900 square metres and stands out for its HQE and BEPOS E3C1 environmental certifications. The interior spaces accommodate various functions, from a multi-purpose gym to areas dedicated to the study of human movement, creating a unified system in which architecture, materials and volumes interact seamlessly.
Within this design balance, lighting plays a central and structuring role. The project, designed by PERFORMANCE iN LIGHTING on behalf of KYPSÉLI, does not merely meet technical requirements but helps define the perceptual quality of the spaces. Light is designed as an element capable of discreetly complementing the architecture without ever overpowering it, whilst ensuring high performance and rigorous control of visual conditions. The result is a lighting system that interprets functional requirements, translating them into a precise and perfectly integrated presence.
Inside the main sports hall, designed for sports such as basketball and handball, the lighting design works in harmony with a sophisticated technological infrastructure comprising eleven high-precision cameras, used to analyse athletes’ movements in three dimensions. In this context, the quality of light becomes crucial: the LASER+ 10 EXTREME RM floodlights ensure intense and uniform illumination, with average levels of 1,200 lux, accurately illuminating both horizontal and vertical surfaces. The absence of glare, reflections or visual interference allows for a clear reading of the space and the athletes’ movements, transforming light into an active tool for analysis and perception.
The same attention to detail is evident in the research facilities and the climbing wall, where the lighting helps strike a balance between functional complexity and spatial clarity. Here, the light follows movements, emphasises geometries and ensures conditions of visual comfort that support both sporting and scientific activities. The lighting design thus succeeds in making very different spaces legible and coherent, whilst maintaining a unified aesthetic.
Within SMART, light does more than simply illuminate the spaces; it becomes an integral part of the architectural design, helping to shape its identity. It is through this approach that lighting becomes a genuine design tool, capable of enhancing the significance of spaces and supporting the activities they are intended to accommodate.
Architect / Designer: GPAA architectures
Lighting design: KYPSÉLI
