Nicolas Houel, Founder of French studio L’Observatoire de la Nuit, shares his new research project, Noctines, dedicated to examining our “night time narratives”.

L’Observatoire de la Nuit recognises that preserving natural darkness and the health of all living things requires a deeper understanding of their intricate connections. By embracing this understanding, we can foster the creation of sustainable, high-quality nighttime environments, whether softly illuminated or left in their natural state.

Noctines is dedicated to enriching the global conversation about the balance between darkness and artificial light in daily life. Through gathering personal stories – both real-life experiences and imagined aspirations – Noctines seeks to uncover how people shape their cultural perceptions of night and light.

Field action-research project

The term “Noctines” is a French neologism, combining “comptines” (lullabies) and “nocturnes” (nighttime), invoking the cultural stories shared at dusk across generations. Created by L’Observatoire de la Nuit, Noctines is committed to guiding individuals through the cultural transition to a renewed experience of the night. This project is inspired by my 2020 PhD thesis, “Pedagogy of Light Sobriety.”

Noctines’ ambition is to delve into personal nighttime narratives to better understand the cultural relationships people have with the night. By taking a research-action approach, Noctines not only contributes to scientific exploration in psychogeography and sensory mapping, but also offers valuable insights for urban planners, consultants, and designers. The ultimate aim is to enhance the quality of nightlife in various regions and to tailor nighttime environments to how people truly live and experience them.

Since 2021, Noctines has been mobilised during the following events:

• Grenoble (FR) Darkness experience workshop, 2024 (coming event)

• Montpellier (FR), LUCI AGM, 2024

• Beynes (FR), Darkness experience workshop, 2024

• La Roche-Sur-Yon (FR) lighting masterplan, 2024

• Mulhouse (FR) lighting masterplan, 2024

• São Paulo (BR), LEDForum, Darkness experience workshop, 2023

• Aydat (FR), Darkness experience workshop (Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park), 2023

• Lisbonne (PR), IV edition of the International Conference on Night Studies, 2023

• Lum’Acte Game (national serious game in 12 regions of France), 2023

• Nantes (FR) night city council, 2023

• La Haye-Fouassière (FR) lighting masterplan, 2022

• Nantes (FR), Darkness experience workshop, 2021

These steps led to the collection of nearly 400 individual testimonials from a diverse group of contributors, including local residents and street lighting experts. The insights gathered took various forms, ranging from key words to full narratives and short stories. Initial analysis reveals that people’s relationships with nightlife centre around eight key themes:

• Social interaction

• Innovation

• Nature

• Introspection

• Safety

• Night sky

• Wonder

• Perception and soothing effects

These eight themes serve as a foundation for further exploration by the L’Observatoire de la Nuit team. While not exhaustive, they mark the beginning of a proposed framework to understand the emotions, sensations, and perceptions that shape both our collective cultural views and individual imaginations about the night. As more contributions are gathered, this analysis will evolve, aiming to provide a comprehensive view of the cultural factors that have shaped – and continue to shape – nightlife worldwide.

A Simple, Interactive Participation Protocol

Noctines’ approach unfolds in three steps:

1. Contributor Profile: Three questions establish an anonymous profile of the participant, covering gender, age, and their relationship with the night.

2. Location and Content: Contributors plot their stories on a dynamic map, allowing them to share the geographical context of their experience, followed by a freeform narrative of their story.

3. Story Classification: Participants indicate whether their story reflects real life or an imagined desire and link it to one of the eight pre-defined themes. There’s also room for them to introduce a new theme if needed.

This simple, didactic process invites broad participation and deepens the understanding of how people around the world connect with the night.

Noctines’ Framework

L’Observatoire de la Nuit seeks to balance the technical and sensory elements that shape nighttime environments. Often evaluated through performance, regulatory standards, and environmental considerations, the quality of life at night can sometimes feel reduced to issues like energy management, biodiversity protection, and compliance with norms. Through the Noctines project, however, L’Observatoire de la Nuit shifts the focus to personal narratives – whether real or imagined – to guide technical and technological decisions. In essence, it seeks to return lighting to its rightful place: at the heart of human experience.

The vision of the Noctines project unfolds in three stages:

Short Term: Develop a methodology for designing low-impact, shared, and sustainable nighttime cities, placing the experiences of living beings at the centre.

Mid Term: Explore the scale of societal representations of the night, moving from global to local, and from collective to individual perspectives.

Long Term: Investigate the “night-individual” system to understand both the tangible and intangible interactions that occur, and how these affect individuals and society at large.

A Free Platform for Everyone

L’Observatoire de la Nuit is committed to raising awareness, providing information, and experimenting with nighttime environments and artificial lighting. Our platform is open to all, believing that personal stories, whether real, imagined, positive, or negative, play a crucial role in shaping how each individual connects with the night. This anthropological perspective aims to shed light on various cultural aspects, including gender, accessibility, and safety in nighttime public spaces.

Utilising Noctines for Your Projects Noctines is a free platform designed to support projects focused on creating and sharing stories about night time experiences. Accessible on both PC and mobile devices, it integrates seamlessly into events and nighttime consultations. We offer occasional data extractions upon request and are open to developing customised solutions, such as tailored questionnaires, geographic targeting, and direct data access.

Feel free to reach out to us at

contact@lobservatoiredelanuit.fr and contribute your stories to the platform!

Why Contribute and Consult Noctines?

Noctines offers a unique opportunity to connect with others who share your experiences at the places you love to visit at night. By using the platform, you can explore a vast array of nighttime locations around the world, discovering new spots to enjoy after dark.

Noctines also provides a valuable resource for comparing and contrasting different perspectives on nightlife. It reveals the wide range of opinions, preconceptions, and cultural practices associated with nighttime activities globally. This insight allows you to appreciate the diverse ways in which people around the world experience and perceive the night.

Moreover, your personal stories and experiences play a crucial role in shaping the world’s first qualitative map of nocturnal experiences. By contributing to this map, you help create a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of nighttime environments, enriching our collective knowledge and fostering a deeper appreciation of the night.

www.lobservatoiredelanuit.fr