Aura Invalides - Dôme des Invalides, Paris

As night falls, the Dôme des Invalides comes to life, with light, orchestral music, and video mapping revealing its monumental beauty and rich heritage with AURA Invalides, an original creation by Moment Factory, produced by Cultival in partnership with the Musée de l’Armée. Over the course of nearly 50 minutes, visitors are invited to partake in a sensory nighttime exploration. Guided by light, they wander through the Dome and its six chapels, where the previously unseen gradually comes into view.

About the Project

A designated French heritage site, the Dôme des Invalides is the final resting place of Emperor Napoleon the 1st. The Dome also houses the mausoleum of Vauban, the tombs of Napoleon II known as the Eaglet, of Joseph and Jérôme Bonaparte, of generals Bertrand and Duroc as well as those of the illustrious marshals Foch and Lyautey.

The project presented Moment Factory with a major challenge: to create a fully immersive environment across a 3,500-square-metre projection area while preserving the architectural and historical integrity of the site. Rising to this creative and technical challenge, the team worked closely with Musée de l’Armée curators and the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles. The result, AURA Invalides, offers visitors an intimate connection with the monument and a moment of pure collective wonder.

As night falls, the Dôme des Invalides comes alive with the magic of light, an original orchestral score, and video mapping. Over a span of 50 minutes, visitors explore the monument and its six chapels to the rhythm of three movements recalling its construction long ago, its living memory, and its power to inspire.

Client

Cultural operator Cultival
in partnership with Musée de l’Armée

Agency

Moment Factory