The project was conceived in the wake of a tender for an urban intervention project for the COP25, the 25th Summit for the United Nations on Climate Change, originally programmed to be held in Chile in December of 2019.
The winner of the contest was Fernando Prats a visual artist associated with architects Elton Leniz and Cruz Mandiola, who invited us to collaborate with them forming part of a multi-disciplinary team.
With the advent of social unrest in Chile beginning on the 18th of October 2019, the government made the decision to move the summit from the original venue in Chile, to Madrid, Spain.
Thankfully, given the lasting design and nature of the monument, and how it now forms part of the Infrastructure at the Bicentennial Park Cerrillos, construction continued and it was designated a legacy monument representing the COP25 for the municipality of Cerrillos in Santiago.
The Project was inspired by observing the Andean mountain range, the poem Chile by Gabriela Mistral and the Atlas drawings of Geographical Physics by the geologist Pedro José Amado Pissis in 1875.
The artist Fernando Prats conceived of 16 steel columns that represent the Chilean “profile” between parallels 24° and 42° south, which were over a polished cement surface and surrounded by a water-based mirror, and establishes a both real and symbolic relationship between the horizontal and vertical planes of the mountainous skyline.
Our approach was to attempt to magnify the sculptural piece, taking into account that in the context of the UN Summit on climate change subject matter such as sustainability, respect for biodiversity and the night sky, all issues we routinely incorporate into our designs, were of particularly special relevance.
Our goals were to outline materiality in a manner sensitive to the needs of the project, and the details of the columns, all lend their own contribution to a warm, inviting and comforting environment for those visiting the sculpture, while avoiding all light pollution.
We decided to place small, integrated and imperceptible devices in a steel box, letting us hide the devices during the day as well as at night.
Power consumption for the project came to a total of 320 watts.
We are positively ecstatic to have been chosen as finalists for the Lighting Design Awards held in London in the “low budget” category, a project we are truly invested in.
We cordially invite you to see the entire making of on vimeo.
