projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

light gives a new dress to piazza dei martiri del 7 luglio; knot of the project is one of the most beautiful and functional nineteenth-century opera theatre of italy, the town theater romolo valli, born by the hand of architect cesare costa from modena. next to it in the late ‘800 the teatro ariosto was built, and further on we find the cavallerizza. in the project's intent the theater's construction had to become a natural stage design for this urban space, giving a face to the uneven and un-homogenous perimeter of the square. an empty urban space, used once as parking lot, with the requalificationproject now becomes a space for the city, on open air living room for the citizens. the square becomes a domestic space in which the walls are the buildings to admire, their colors, where pieces of masonry works and decorated façades become large paintings covered by different lights. it's a city able to communicate, to excite, to involve and attract people, a welcoming city that therefore doesn't remain empty in prey of nighttime crime. the piazza is provided with wireless technology that allows its guests to surf the web from anywhere, sailing away from the stone benches or from the foot of the fountain, from the staircase or from the arcades. the same technology allows the public administration to manage the piazza's illumination; a composite light project has been realized to modify and to adapt light to the different moments of social and urban life, scenery effects, narration, functional or accompaniment. working in sync with the urban requalification and the architectural project, light design merges with building and urban furniture simply showing its light effects, at times used as spread light, at times as punctual and set, always aimed to highlight details, paths and ancient presences, that can then be admired with a different eye. the luminaires used are in part technical, in part decorative, but always tent in increasing the value of the architectural project: light and music emerge from the new benches, the old fountain in front of the theater has been replaced by a 2 cm high sheet of water lighted by led, the luminaire ‘luna nascente' emerges silently from the roofs and spots the walkways, evocative art-deco style lantern lights (‘lanterna massima') dress the square, floor lamps (‘reggiolo'), studied with particular optic light reflection, beam the seats without dazzling. all choices gear towards research of restrained and personal effect. new lamps were designed according area's needs, considering also color as public space enrichment. the lanterna massima, designed ad hoc for this city square, is inspired by old city lanterns' magic light, that not only used to generate illumination but were also furniture; the attempt is not nostalgically copying an antique and important element of urban furnish, but rather to redesign it. the new lantern carries the essence of long gone illumination: warm, delicate, house like, but it's also supplied of a light source capable of major efficiency, with a minor consume it produces a stronger illumination along the paths. lanterns become a respectful illuminating sources, hanging from the ceiling of the via emilia's arcades, they spot on footsteps and on architecture rather than on stores' windows, along the building walls they hangs on the façades creating sweet and soft skim walkways. people's glance gets educated to observe: night light becomes a way to notice object that disappear during daylight, they're there but cannot be seen. theater's façade is lighted by an un-homogeneous yet harmonic rhythm of marks that: highlight the perforation, point out shadows, allow the pilasters to stand out. light is switched on to gaze at: light is not a constant displacement on the road, but a narrating light design that accompanies, reassures, invites to rest. darkness acquires a positive value, it is transformed into a pause, a meditation moment, and it's identified with a sweet half-light, not with scary dark. that's why benches have been thought to be illuminated by a reflect that rising from the ground makes them appear as hanging; it's not a continuously light, it's a light made of segments that allows everybody to chose where to sit according to how much illumination one desires: an intimate dimmer light area, or an intense light. the same light can be managed in order to be in colored sync with the fountain and it's been design to become blue when it rains…another pretext to relate city to its citizens, light to its urban story in which it becomes protagonist. it's design and dialog, a dialog between the parts, architectural object and spaces, antique and new projects, nonetheless a dialog and a collaboration between a designing team and an administration that showed up as particularly sensible, careful… illuminated. of art deco line the square and floor light fittings with specially-designed diffusers illuminate seating areas without creating blinding effects. again the objective was to create a measured, customized effect while respecting the specific requirements of the area; this led to the design of new light fittings in keeping with the project, also taking into account the use of light colour as an enhancing feature for the public area.