Location: Chueca Square. Madrid. Spain

Area: 1000 sqm.

Year: 2014- 2017

With: Iván P. Martín, Pablo Sebastián

Promoter: Madrid City Council

Installer: Ximénez Iluminación sl

The first aim of Garlands is to reconciliate city and citizen with the light. Garlands interact with the citizen, who became part of the construction process of the shared light ambient. A presence detection system makes the nodes translate the steps of people to the color language. That is the movement of the neighborhood, the vital pulse of the city. Lamps are a expression channel of the activity of the public scenery.

the second objetive of Garlands is to build a different space, not habitual, an atmosphere of event. Chueca square is a place to stay, and after the initial surprise, lights have to make their function as company lamps in this big urban hall. 

Third, Garlands have to disappear by day, so it is necessary that hanging structures are minimal. The best way to obtain it is that lamp and structure are the same. The lamp has to support itself. We proposed catenary as the naturalactive form that forms the light string by the action of its own weight, as the geometrical element able to build a spatial net.