Plaza De España, Madrid

Thorn has recently worked with Madrid City Council on the most anticipated and important urban project of recent years: the rebirth of Plaza de España. This unprecedented landscape reconfiguration and large-scale project links the Royal Palace, Plaza de Oriente, Jardines de Sabatini, Madrid Río and the Temple of Debod to the Gran Vía.

Welcome Mother Nature is the name of the proposal that was lead by architects Lorenzo Fernández-Ordóñez, Aránzazu La Casta, and Fernando Porras-Isla. The project proposed four major elements in one: to profoundly transform car mobility, to create large accessible areas dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists, to incorporate a large stand of trees connecting the adjacent parks, and to enhance and reveal the remains of the valuable historical heritage of this enclave, origin of the city.

This immense green environment features more than a thousand trees in a landscape reconfiguration that goes beyond the functional and where light plays a fundamental role. To bring this magnificent proposal to life, Thorn Lighting actively participated in the project through two different but coordinated work strategies: the lighting of the large circular esplanade and its entrance points.

At the entrances, a warm light guides and invites you to stroll into the pedestrian area that's 75 meters in diameter, a meeting point for citizens and visitors. The light beams are oriented and adjusted to the limits of the architecture, establishing an interesting and beautiful contrast between the entrance paths and green areas.

As the visitor enters this large pedestrian area, light bathes the space, creating ambience and identity. Prepared for all kinds of events, the square has a dynamic and flexible lighting system that was developed by Thorn in collaboration with the architects. The technological proposal will allow the creation of different atmospheres and lighting scenes depending on the time of year, type of event or special dates in the calendar, such as the Christmas scene, which alternates playful transitions of green and red.

This double lighting maneuver has been possible thanks to Contrast luminaires whose versatility and elegant design add value and quality to the architectural environment. Distributed along 7 columns of 22 meters high and a triangular geometry - designed by the architects, authors of the project, and executed by Setga - the luminaires join the natural wood finish with ball joints specifically designed for the project.

In order to unify aesthetic criteria, the same Contrast model is used in two versions of light emission. For the pedestrian access points, a 3000K color temperature was chosen with the possibility of intensity regulation, while in the main square the RGBW version is used, offering different light scenes, colors and shapes. Its great flexibility allows the different surface finishes of Galician granite flooring to be illuminated in a uniform way.

A unique city project accompanied by special lighting that combines design and lighting criteria. A proposal for urban lighting that fosters greater awareness of the importance of light in public space and with which Madrid experiences the rebirth of a green, open and flexible area capable of transforming the city through an architecture that shines and reveals itself to be beautiful, thanks to the magic of light.

Architecture and landscaping, pole design and lighting idea:Lorenzo Fernández Ordóñez, Aránzazu La Casta and Fernando Porras-Isla.

Promoter and owner:Madrid City Council

Constructor:UTE Pacsa FCC

General Engineering:Prointec

Structural Engineering:Grahen

Pole development Engineering: Setga, with the collaboration of the University of Vigo and the University of Valladolid.

Installer:Urbalux

Photography of Thorn Contrast luminaires in Plaza de España:Luzestudio Fotografía