The International Day of Light: “Transitions”
May 20 2021
On the 16th of May, we celebrated the International Day of Light, an event established by UNESCO as an annual commemoration to promote awareness of the importance of light and its associated technology.
This year was the 3rd edition of the Central Event in Spain to commemorate the International Day of Light, with its official headquarters in Terrassa, and organised by the Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa (FOOT) in collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica in Catalunya, the City Council of Terrassa, the FOOT Board of Trustees, the Spanish Society of Optics (SEDOPTICA) and the Spanish Committee of DIL.
To commemorate the celebration of this event in the city of Terrassa, Lamp provided the lighting for two of the highlights of the night-time light show "La ruta de la luz" (The path of light), which was one of the activities included in the official programme. "Transicions" was the title of this simultaneous lighting installation in two of the monuments that took part: the emblematic Masia Freixa in Sant Jordi Park and the Parc Vallparadis marquee, on the 15th and 16th of May 2021.
"Transicions" is a project inspired by modernist architecture, and is based on characteristics that this movement takes from nature itself. Fluidity, organic forms, and nature are the foundations of modernism and, therefore, the starting point for this lighting installation.
The Masía Freixa, a symbol of fluidity and a tribute to harmony, is the central element of the Transicions project, and it has used the façades of the building as a backdrop to metaphorically represent a journey through the transitions of the sky. The lighting evokes a warm, gentle sunset in its amber tones, followed by an intense midday full of energy and vivid sky blue tones, and leading us into a sunset with its peaceful violet tones that invite us to reflect on life, before finally immersing us in dreamy dark blue shades of night.
It’s a dynamic, fluid journey that, by means of the lighting and gentle rhythms, uses the façade of the Masia in this sensory journey through these skies of modernist inspiration.
Another inspirational component here is the idea of working with fantasy and the observer’s imagination. With this premise in mind, they have used the domes in the three central arched areas of the Masia’s façades, and the perception they create in us. This is achieved by means of circular elements of reflective material that seek to change the visitor's perspective. We can find these elements in these three key points, accompanied by a halo of red light, which symbolizes how life interacts directly with people and with the outpouring of nature expressed in the façades.
At the same time, the Carpa de Vallparadís, with its dynamic and sinuous façades, reflected these light transitions, turning it temporarily into a celestial vault that created a unique lighting ambience within the Parque de Valldaparadís.
The lighting systems used by Lamp were Fine LED RBG strips for the mirrored platforms. For the façade, they used Shot RGB, Bauline RGB and Bazz Air SYM RGB spot and linear spotlights.
The lighting design and programming involved in "Transicions" was the work of LDLuz-Lighting Design Studio. The programming was carried out by Lamp's technical team.