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Neon signage reading 'Lunagluk' with cloud motifs illuminated in blue and white inside a storefront window at dusk, designed by Hervé Descottes.
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Hervé Descottes

Lighting DesignerLighting DesignCultural & Civic

Founder & Principal at L'Observatoire International

Founder and Principal of L'Observatoire International, a Tribeca-based architectural lighting design firm established in 1993 after eight years of practice in Paris. Descottes personally develops lighting concepts for each project, working with architects including Steven Holl, Frank Gehry, and Jean Nouvel on projects such as the High Line, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton. He was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by France in 2008.

Experience

  1. Founder & Principal

    L'Observatoire International

    1993 – present

    Current

Awards & press

  • Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters

    French Minister of Culture · 2008

  • Best of Year Award for Best Lighting Designer

    Interior Design · 2020

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture

    American Academy of Arts and Letters · 2026

  • MASterworks Design Award | Best Restoration

    MASterworks · 2026 · The Frick Collection

  • MASterworks Design Award | Best Adaptive Reuse

    MASterworks · 2026 · Domino Sugar Refinery

  • WindowsWear Awards

    WindowsWear · 2026 · Printemps NYC

Selected work

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