Building management: Fondation Louis Vuitton or the challenge of a multi-trade hypervision solution

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is a museum for contemporary art created by Bernard Arnault, owner of the LVMH group.

Designed by the American architect Frank Gehry, the building, in the form of a transparent cloud, is located in the heart of the Jardin d’Acclimatation and houses almost 11 galleries spread over three floors plus a 300-seat auditorium.

As part of the construction project, Assystem, a specialist engineering house, was contracted to create a turnkey intelligent building management for the museum. 

This called for a hypervision solution to control the low-current equipment and the centralized building management system.

Why choose this solution?

The advantage of hypervision is to be able to implement a system capable of managing the technical installations in different operating modes and programme them to work all together in various scenarios.

To do so, Assystem developed the communication interfaces to the various subsystems as well as a range of application tools, including a scenario editor and a mobile system for lighting control.

The hypervision solution, based on PcVue, synchronizes the operation of the building utilities and can run pre-programmed scenarios which let all the different technical systems in the building come into play, like an orchestra under a conductor’s baton.

All this can either be pre-configured by means of an advanced calendar management tool or can be executed in real time, harnessing the power of the PcVue communications front-end and the interoperability of the systems with the PcVue platform.

To successfully implement this project, 130,000 points have been centralized to create a system consisting of multiple subsystems for managing the high-current applications (energy counters), sensors, lifts, lighting dimmers, plumbing, security and fire prevention.

At the heart of the hypervision system is the PcVue platform monitoring system from ARC Informatique, composed of 4 redundant servers, 4 client workstations and 25 WebVue licences to provide remote web access.

It controls the water supply, plumbing and high-current equipment.

The open architecture of the PcVue platform allows it to interface efficiently with all the many different technical infrastructure protocols, for example the BACnet network for the HVAC installations, OPC for the lift/fire protection equipment, DALI for the lighting system.

It is also integrated with the Genetec system for the video displays, access control, etc. The result is a perfectly integrated, multi-unit solution, proving the remarkable potential of the PcVue platform when implemented by an experienced partner like Assystem.

The hypervision solution is based on multiple communication systems, including ModBus, BACnet , SDK-GENETEC, SNMP and OPC.

This major project is a strategic part of Fondation Louis Vuitton´s desire to become a permanent feature of the cultural landscape of Paris.

Through hypervision, the foundation ensures the comfort and security of visitors in configurations that evolve with each new exhibition.

For the extension of the project, Assystem also trusts PcVue for the BMS of the Grande Epicerie, owned by LVMH.

A must-visit place for fine Parisian gastronomy, the establishment, which covers an area of 2,800 m², has its headquarters in the 16th district.