Rivers of Light Route
Lighting Design as a Touristic and Cultural Attraction.
Beauty and Sustainability for the Spanish city of Valladolid
The city of Valladolid, supported by the municipality of Valladolid and the network LUCI, announce a global pioneering initiative, in which energy saving and design unite in the creation of a unique tourist route which highlights the city’s architectural richness. The principle which underlines the design of this route is to offer complete solutions to the needs of its users. The design has given priority to the subjective aspects such as aesthetics, health and environment, combining them with visual comfort and taking into consideration vital economic and energy saving factors. These components, alongside the belief that lighting should be a flexible medium, have led to the creation of a design which combines efficiency with high aesthetics, bringing increased value to the night views of Valladolid. The illuminated route acquires its own personality, increasing the touristic and cultural potential of this city.
The concept of this project revolves around the symbolic re-integration of the river Esgueva, which was re-routed from its original direction in order to allow the city to develop and grow. This virtual river is transformed into a River of Light which runs through the city, guiding people through its streets in a surprising and interactive way. It reveals the city’s rich heritage and present splendours, showing step by step, tributary by tributary, its history, architecture and cultural heritage. The direction and size of this route can be modified or enlarged in the future to incorporate any new developments.
The route which forms the Rivers of Light interconnects different parts of the centre of Valladolid. Each area is made up of buildings and monuments and also encompasses the surrounding streets and squares.
The lighting of the targeted areas has had the effect of ordering and harmonising the surroundings: colour temperature of the light sources have been unified, the lighting levels have been reduced in order to increase the degrees of shadow, making the night lit passages more visually effective.
The buildings and monuments have been lit according to their individual characteristics, whilst also maintaining a criteria which harmonises the project. The colour temperature of all the monuments of the route has been unified, amplifying the variation of light intensity to bring out distinctive details. In addition, visual comfort has been prioritised, using antiglare devices when necessary. Finally, we have looked for a visual integration of the luminaries with the objective that they disappear in the daylight.
In accordance with the design criteria defined in the original concept, the level of lighting of the monuments and their surroundings has been considerably reduced, improving their perception and generating a sensation of beauty and wellbeing, using the latest technology and low consumption LEDs. This reduction has translated into an important energy saving in electricity consumption, confirming the relationship between design and sustainability.
Of the more than 30 monuments chosen for this project, over half have been re-lit, whilst new light installations have been added to the remaining buildings and to those that previously lacked illumination. In total, the project has resulted in an energy saving of 44,5% (including the lighting for buildings which lacked previous illumination).
A code of light colour has been employed, which unifies the buildings individual purposes as well as communicating specific visual messages. This concept, combined with the belief that rivers are living and changing entities, has led to the decision to use the colour “River Green” to mark this path as it crosses the city. Emitted from different lighting elements which the visitor recognises easily, the River Green Light acquires the role of a visual tourist guide which leads and accompanies the visitor as they discover the architectural and cultural splendours of Valladolid. In addition, the interior of the church’s towers is lit in the official colours of the liturgic calendar: purple, white, red and green. Each colour reflects a specific liturgic message. Finally, the colour of the city of Valladolld, purple, has been employed to mark the city’s cultural spaces.
The route begins in the San Benito area and ends in the Plaza Mayor, passing through the planned Plaza de Milenio. As the route is circular, it is possible to start the tour at any given point. For those arriving by train in Valladolid, the route is easily recognised by walking from the station to Centre for Touristic Information where they can find out more information about the Rivers of Light.
The lighting concept behind the Rivers of Light was created by lighting designers Rafael Gallego (áureolighting) and Lara Elbaz, who were commissioned by Valladolid Municipality and Phillips Lighting. This work, promoted by Valladolid Town Hall from State funds for the employment of sustainability, was installed by the company Elpa, with technical support and products from Philips and Indal, under the direction of Aureolighting.
The route Rivers of Light offers a new and innovative way of enjoying the cultural and gastronomic pleasures of Valladolid at nightime, as well as experiencing its attractive urban surroundings.
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The concept of this project revolves around the symbolic re-integration of the river Esgueva, which was re-routed from its original direction in order to allow the city to develop and grow. This virtual river is transformed into a River of Light which runs through the city, guiding people through its streets in a surprising and interactive way. It reveals the city’s rich heritage and present splendours, showing step by step, tributary by tributary, its history, architecture and cultural heritage. The direction and size of this route can be modified or enlarged in the future to incorporate any new developments.
The route which forms the Rivers of Light interconnects different parts of the centre of Valladolid. Each area is made up of buildings and monuments and also encompasses the surrounding streets and squares.
The lighting of the targeted areas has had the effect of ordering and harmonising the surroundings: colour temperature of the light sources have been unified, the lighting levels have been reduced in order to increase the degrees of shadow, making the night lit passages more visually effective.
The buildings and monuments have been lit according to their individual characteristics, whilst also maintaining a criteria which harmonises the project. The colour temperature of all the monuments of the route has been unified, amplifying the variation of light intensity to bring out distinctive details. In addition, visual comfort has been prioritised, using antiglare devices when necessary. Finally, we have looked for a visual integration of the luminaries with the objective that they disappear in the daylight.
In accordance with the design criteria defined in the original concept, the level of lighting of the monuments and their surroundings has been considerably reduced, improving their perception and generating a sensation of beauty and wellbeing, using the latest technology and low consumption LEDs. This reduction has translated into an important energy saving in electricity consumption, confirming the relationship between design and sustainability.
Of the more than 30 monuments chosen for this project, over half have been re-lit, whilst new light installations have been added to the remaining buildings and to those that previously lacked illumination. In total, the project has resulted in an energy saving of 44,5% (including the lighting for buildings which lacked previous illumination).
A code of light colour has been employed, which unifies the buildings individual purposes as well as communicating specific visual messages. This concept, combined with the belief that rivers are living and changing entities, has led to the decision to use the colour “River Green” to mark this path as it crosses the city. Emitted from different lighting elements which the visitor recognises easily, the River Green Light acquires the role of a visual tourist guide which leads and accompanies the visitor as they discover the architectural and cultural splendours of Valladolid. In addition, the interior of the church’s towers is lit in the official colours of the liturgic calendar: purple, white, red and green. Each colour reflects a specific liturgic message. Finally, the colour of the city of Valladolld, purple, has been employed to mark the city’s cultural spaces.
The route begins in the San Benito area and ends in the Plaza Mayor, passing through the planned Plaza de Milenio. As the route is circular, it is possible to start the tour at any given point. For those arriving by train in Valladolid, the route is easily recognised by walking from the station to Centre for Touristic Information where they can find out more information about the Rivers of Light.
The lighting concept behind the Rivers of Light was created by lighting designers Rafael Gallego (áureolighting) and Lara Elbaz, who were commissioned by Valladolid Municipality and Phillips Lighting. This work, promoted by Valladolid Town Hall from State funds for the employment of sustainability, was installed by the company Elpa, with technical support and products from Philips and Indal, under the direction of Aureolighting.
The route Rivers of Light offers a new and innovative way of enjoying the cultural and gastronomic pleasures of Valladolid at nightime, as well as experiencing its attractive urban surroundings.
back