projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

the design proposal, aimed at adapting the cathedral of san lorenzo to the acquisitions of the last liturgical reform, is the winning entry in a two stage competition that the diocese of alba held in 2007 / 2008. massimiliano valdinoci’s architectural team supervised the refurbishment of the cathedral and its lighting. as part of this adaptation and as a major symbol of the changes underway, an illuminated canopy was installed, conceived and designed with Viabizzuno. not only is it an illuminated object and a functional light fitting, but also a mystical element and a symbol of how enhanced spaces were once created within the wider body of the church. the canopy came from the idea of creating a glorious illuminated ciborium, whose light becomes an immaterial presence, constituting the network of relationships that can delineate the space without filling it. so this feature, located above the altar, finalises and completes the cathedral’s liturgical adaptation, performing a dual role: to indicate the centrality of the eucharistic table, alluding to the descent of the holy spirit at the time of consecration (the epicletic dimension), and finally to direct the eyes of faithful upwards and towards the distant perspective of the choir. the ciborium-canopy consists of components arranged in an original design that echoes the geometry of the constellations, invoking the sky, speckled with stars, painted on the vaults above but, at the same time, it also alludes to the urban fabric of great cities, by establishing a parallel between the city of man and heavenly jerusalem. its function is to create a zone of luminous silence, which emphasises the presence of the altar by avoiding the uniform lighting of the nave, achieved with special light fittings situated higher on the vaulted ceilings and designed specifically for the project. the canopy lights are the boundary of this space, which encompasses the entire altar platform and they bespeckle the important features, placing strong emphasis on the table and with it the symbols and gestures associated with the ritual of the eucharist.