projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

a little jewel of medieval architecture is aglow with new splendour in the heart of continental liechtenstein. it is the gutenberg castle in balzers, a village in the small principality. built in the 12th century, the fortress was inhabited since 1290, in a land where the first historical artefacts date back to the neolithic period (ca 4500 b.c.). the castle was abandoned in 1750 and left to deteriorate, and some of its parts were collected to reconstruct the village after the fire in balzers in 1795. the castle was restored to new life in the 20th century. the protagonist of this phase, which started in 1905, was the painter and sculptor egon rheinberger from vaduz. during the subsequent years, restoration works complied with the dictates of neoromantic trends that considerably influenced the final aesthetic features of the castle, which has remained intact through the years that followed. today the gutenberg castle is a genuine work of art, both in the eyes of experts and of mere tourists, and it is acknowledged as a renaissance castle of the 1900s. an essential contribution to relaunch the castle was given by the government of the principality which, after purchasing it in 1979, initiated renovation works in the courtyard, which was completed along with those of the chapel and of the rosegarden in 2010. the overall recovery of a building of such historical and artistic importance could not be deemed as complete without lighting specially studied to enhance its architectural features. always considering respect for the work of egon rheinberger as a landmark and an unrenounceable element, new functional lighting has been adopted, studied to maintain the spirit of the original builders of the past. the project envisaged the use of products that could already be found on the market, along with lamps specifically designed for this project: highly technological light fittings that do not conceal the craftsmanship at their origins. Viabizzuno light fittings, such as m3 and cubo medium, are still the essential elements that enhance some key architectural features of the castle, which is the site of cultural events today. their light enhances the exterior. it is, in fact, their light that caresses the materials used to build the castle, especially wood and stone. a light that illuminates, guides visitors and, at the same time, makes the fortress the only real protagonist, resuscitating its atmospheres, charm, and suggestive historical impressions of a past that is centuries old.