monumental lamp installation lights up the main patio of a 17th century monastery in spain

manuel bouzas and santiago del aguila install ‘lucerna’ in spain

‘lucerna’ is a temporary urban installation inserted in the main patio of the purissima concepció monastery in

tortosa, spain. designed by bouzas. del aguila, a madrid-based experimental architecture practice led by manuel bouzas and santiago del aguila, the project takes shape as a monumental lamp that radically transforms the 17th-century building through light and color. with a height of more than six meters and a surface area of 55 sqm, the translucent installation becomes a vibrant vessel of light at nighttime, emitting hues that overflow the boundaries of the monastery and reache the street.

‘the conceptual origin of the project stems from the double interpretation of the word lucerna,’ manuel bouzas and santiago del aguila explain. ‘nowadays, this term defines the upper openings which serve to introduce natural light into a space. however, it was also used by the romans to name the ancient ceramic oil lamps that produced light in the dark. in other words, the first lamps in history.’ as such, the installation explores the intersection between both notions to present a contemporary reinterpretation of the classic lamps that used to illuminate the most iconic sacred spaces in history.

all images by antonio bouzas

MONUMENTAL LAMP WRAPPED IN translucent fiberglass

bouzas. del aguila developed ‘lucerna’ for the ‘a cel obert’ architecture festival 2021, which took place last fall in tortosa, spain. seeking to promote the heritage value of the city’s historic center, the festival opens numerous patios and cloisters to the city through a series of temporary installations. the spaces where communities used to meet in the past, are reactivated through architecture and art.

in collaboration with lighting designer ana barbier, the architects built the monumental lamp with six wooden rings, which are covered by a led light strip on their inner edges. the project hangs down from the cornice of the monastery’s main patio through a light structure made up of wires and turnbuckles. a corrugated translucent fiberglass membrane covers the rings to guide both natural and artificial light to the ground. a small staircase right below the installation lifts visitors up to the interior of the lamp, allowing them to discover the ‘cel obert’ (open sky), framed by the organic shape of the piece.

visitors are invited to discover and reactivate the forgotten and hidden spaces of the city