The Paul Ricard Circuit now features a 15-meter transparent LED screen at its main entrance.
A fully customized solution, designed and tailored by INFiLED and installed in close collaboration with renowned French integrator ND Tech Med, this large-scale project is one of the biggest transparent LED displays in Europe.
Broadcasting live races, interviews, and sponsor messages, the giant screen is a bespoke solution created by INFiLED to meet the demanding technical, aesthetic, and structural requirements of the historic circuit.
Home for decades to Le Mans and Formula 1 racing in France, as well as numerous other motorsport, cycling, and athletics events, the Paul Ricard Circuit is an icon of French motorsport. Built in 1969 with the support of pastis magnate Paul Ricard, the circuit is known for its versatility, adaptability, and distinctive red and blue run-off areas, and is also regarded as one of the most sustainable tracks in the world.
For the project, INFiLED designed a total of 96 transparent LED panels, with four unique panel sizes precisely installed on each of the 32 glazed overhang windows, adjusted with millimetric tolerances. This required meticulous engineering and design work to achieve uniform visual appearance. The full display measures 15 meters wide by 5.4 meters high, offering a total surface of 81 square meters.
To maximize visibility and clarity for a moving audience, the custom screen uses a horizontal pixel pitch of 4 mm and a vertical pitch of 8 mm, optimized to ensure legibility from various distances and angles without compromising screen transparency. One of the main design challenges was finding the right balance between light transmission and image intensity: if too transparent, the image faded; if too opaque, the architectural impact of the installation was lost.
The structural challenges were equally complex. Despite the lightweight nature of INFiLED’s transparent LED solutions, a screen of this size still imposes a significant load. INFiLED and ND Tech Med designed a custom mounting system to ensure long-term stability, allowing for thermal expansion while avoiding stress or damage to the lower glass structure. The mounting solution also ensures quick access for maintenance, a critical factor in a high-traffic environment with ongoing events where uptime is essential.
The design and development process of this ambitious installation included an exploratory visit to INFiLED’s showroom in Barcelona, followed by three on-site demonstrations at the Paul Ricard Circuit itself to test and refine the custom concept under real conditions.
The new LED screen at the Paul Ricard Circuit is not just a warm, bold, and dynamic welcome—it’s an architectural statement. It’s also a vision we had the honor to help bring to life. For us, no goal is too complex or too ambitious. We designed and manufactured every element exclusively for this project, because in over 16 years and with more than 200 patents, we can adapt to any space or ambition. If you have a big and seemingly impossible idea, we’re here to listen, says Mathieu Arnould, Sales Director for France at INFiLED.
Image credits: Morgan Mathurin
