Read our insightful interview with the people behind the lighting in Chile's first fluvial park.
Read our insightful interview with the people behind the lighting in Chile's first fluvial park.
specified for the project, they were the most efficient on the market at the time. Today, after two years, we find that the exterior energy efficiency is surprisingly even higher."
- Paulina Villalobos, Lighting designer, DIAV
The recently created Park Padre Renato Poblete is the first ever fluvial urban park in Chile. It was designed to rejuvenate the banks of the River Mapocho and create a new welcome change for 75,000 inhabitants in the surrounding Santiago neighborhoods. Lighting Designer Paulina Villalobos and her colleague Claudia Oñate told us about their experiences working on the project.
What was there before the park, and what kind of functionality did it have?
Paulina Villalobos: It was a forgotten area of the city. The edge of the river was a dumping ground for rubbish, open areas were used as football fields, and homeless people had set up shanties there.
Claudia, what concept and idea did you have for the park?
Claudia Oñate: The park is part of a network of parks were built during various eras. Even though the layouts and designs of the parks are very different, there is a deliberate continuity. To give identity to the various routes and to facilitate their identification, we combined textures and colors that, during spring and summer, contrast with the gray landscape of Santiago.
How was lighting integrated into the park?
Paulina Villalobos: The main task was to respect the landscape, illuminating only the routes and areas frequented by people, leaving the vegetation to follow the pattern of natural light.
How have you managed to respect the need for energy efficiency?
Paulina Villalobos: We decided to give most of the routes flush lighting finishes, lowering the luminous flux by up to 100 times relative to overhead lighting. In addition, the luminaires installed for the large areas work from dusk until the park closes, and are only activated when they are needed.
When the luminaires were originally specified for the project, they were the most efficient on the market at the time (80-90 Lm/W). Today, after two years, we find that the exterior energy efficiency is surprisingly even higher.
How has the water/river influenced the project?
Paulina Villalobos: The River was the origin of the city of Santiago. Its riverbanks were once used for the cultivation of native food species, and they provided sustenance to the city. The project takes into account the value of the surrounding areas, recovering the riverside for a large-scale urban park that is strategically located. The water regains its historic role and is part of the concept that defines the lighting criteria for this new park.
What is the function of the image projections (gobo) in the area?
Paulina Villalobos: There are two large esplanades at each end of the lagoon, and the idea was to generate on these large arid surfaces a feeling of being in a fluvial park, and the sense of walking on the surface of water.
How did the users of the park react to this new concept?
Paulina Villalobos: In a very playful way. Children can swim and play there. Both light and shadow play an important role, as the children can see the light projected on themselves and in turn the reflected shadows.
What technology is used for the lighting?
Paulina Villalobos: Everything uses LED lighting with a color temperature of 3,000 K, except in the marathon route, where the lamps are at 4,000 K.
What products or systems were installed?
Paulina Villalobos: The use of gobo projectors and traditional luminaires. In this case, there is no control system because, when the park closes, the whole lighting system shuts down.
How were the footbridges illuminated?
Paulina Villalobos: The illumination for the footbridges is under the balustrades, illuminating the route with a flush finish.
Client
Landscape architects
Lighting designer
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