Zaragoza's new monumental lighting has reached sites including the Roman walls, Torreón Fortea, the Pablo Gargallo Museum, the Roman Theatre and Casa de los Morlanes. The project combines an improved nighttime image for these landmarks with more efficient systems, lower energy consumption and respect for the environment.
Zaragoza City Council has allocated 500,000 euros to this first stage, which began with work on the former Convent of San Agustín, the San Jorge Street facade of the Roman Theatre Museum and the auxiliary facade of the Principal Theatre. The work was then extended to the Roman walls around San Juan de los Panetes, Torreón Fortea, the interior of the Roman Theatre, the Pablo Gargallo Museum and Casa de los Morlanes.
Víctor Serrano, Zaragoza's councillor for Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Energy and Housing, welcomed the completion of this first stage. "The renewal of Zaragoza's monumental lighting represents a step forward in the way the city experiences, feels and projects its vast architectural legacy to the outside world," the councillor said.
64 LIGHTS FOR THE ROMAN WALLS AND TORREÓN DE LA ZUDA
Each intervention has required specific technical solutions. One of the completed projects is located around the Roman walls and Torreón de La Zuda. The project aims to enhance the tower's volume and highlight the texture of the sections of wall.
The Architecture Service has installed 64 state-of-the-art lights, with a combined energy consumption of just 959 watts. The intervention combines high-power floodlights with 21 wide-angle spotlights that evenly illuminate the ashlar surface of the Roman wall.
They are joined by 35 compact lights, integrated to reduce their visual impact during the day, which create a 'sheet of light' effect designed to emphasize the architectural profiles. The system uses a warm-white tone with high color fidelity and also integrates the cypress trees located around the perimeter.
TORREÓN FORTEA AND THE PABLO GARGALLO MUSEUM GET NEW LIGHTING
At Torreón Fortea, the new configuration seeks to highlight the contrast between its horizontal volume and the adjacent vertical tower. The lighting directs the eye toward the upper section to reinforce the perception of its Renaissance architecture at night.
The balconies in the lower section feature linear lights and specific optics that provide frontal illumination and evenly highlight the windows and the texture of the facade. On the upper levels, compact lights have been installed, creating a 180-degree sheet-of-light effect over the inner lintels of the windows.
A few meters away, in the same square, the facade of the Pablo Gargallo Museum also has new architectural lighting based on LED technology. The system reduces consumption, provides color rendering, enables intelligent management, offers a long service life and requires less maintenance. The installed optics are designed to ensure the facade can be seen properly while maintaining pedestrians' visual comfort.
NEW LIGHTING AT CASA DE LOS MORLANES AND THE ROMAN THEATRE
Casa de los Morlanes now has lighting designed according to criteria of visual perception and heritage conservation. Municipal technicians have used the Dialux EVO lighting calculation software to optimize the distribution and illuminance levels on the facade, creating a play of light and shadow designed to highlight the historic relief of the stone without altering its appearance.
The first phase has also included an improvement to the roof area of the Muse
um of the Roman Theatre Caesaraugusta. Technical teams used the auxiliary equipment required to access the structure and installed 18 new energy-efficient floodlights to replace the old units located between the pillars of the protective roof.
The museum's inner arch has nine floodlights, while the exterior has another nine fixtures with complementary characteristics. The work also required circuits to be expanded and new branches to be installed. In addition, an obsolete floodlight was removed from the access staircase and a protective mesh was fitted to prevent birds from nesting. The intervention at the Roman Theatre had an execution budget of more than 178,000 euros.
MORE THAN 60% IN ENERGY SAVINGS
The head of Energy and Urban Planning explained that the incorporation of highly efficient LED technology and intelligent management systems makes it possible to reduce energy consumption, the carbon footprint and light pollution. "Beyond its undeniable aesthetic value, we see light as a clear element of social innovation and environmental care, achieving system efficiencies that translate into more than 60% in energy savings," he added.
Teams from the Architecture Directorate are already working on the analysis and drafting of the next technical projects with which Zaragoza City Council will continue the Special Monumental Lighting Plan in a second phase.
