According to Darc magazine, a specialized London-based publication, the “Expiatory Temple” of León Guanajuato was selected as one of the best lighting projects around the world. Initially, it was among the 600 best projects worldwide, and today, it is ranked among the top 25 .
The government of Guanajuato declared that “the fact to be considered in this international competition has great importance, since the “Expiatorio” church does not have a large maintenance budget.
The budget is minor, in comparison with other projects such as Hotel Royal Evian in France, the Mosque in Turkey or the Studio City in Macau, which are included in the selection.
The Lighting project
In an effort to encourage the rediscovery of the tangible and intangible beauty that comes from the city of Leon, Guanajuato has raised a Lighting Project to recover the presence of the temple and integrate it to the night time urbanscape, conserve and protect the historical heritage, social and cultural past of the city.
Framed in an urban context, the project lights the “Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” (Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús), is a landmark inn León, with its Neo-Gothic architecture, stained glass windows, it is recognize as a point of socio-cultural integration, and the idea is to present it as a tourist attraction that can generate economic resources for the people of León.
“The project includes lighting, control systems, installation of more than 300 lighting fixtures, electrical installation and civil works. The lighting system is programmable and features different patterns for every occasion,” said the architect Gustavo Avilés, one of the best illuminators in Mexico and, who donated the “Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” Lighting Project to the municipality of Leon in he year 2014.
Darc awards
The darc awards is a unique mondo*arc and darc magazine is known as one of the most widely read and respected lighting design publications in the world.
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