Santiago Cathedral will soon be fitted with a new lighting system, which will be rolled out as a pilot project in Praza das Praterías before being extended to the rest of the heritage complex. ‘Hermes’, by the Madrid-based studio Intervento, is the winning project chosen by the council for its sensitive interpretation of the historic setting and its conceptual approach, which stood out from the other 21 entries submitted to the International Competition for Ornamental and Artistic Lighting in Santiago de Compostela.

The proposal has won over authorities and experts due to its ability to ‘minimise the impact on heritage features as much as possible’, as it is the only one that ‘provides lighting for the cathedral complex without installing new fixtures on the stone roofs, which have recently been fully restored’. Its implementation will be carried out by Intervento and will serve as a trial run before the gradual roll-out of the lighting plan across all the squares surrounding the cathedral (Obradoiro, A Quintana and Inmaculada) and the surrounding areas connecting the various locations.

The objectives of this new design approach are sustainability and energy efficiency, with a 68% reduction in energy consumption, as well as a reduction in light pollution; aesthetic integration, which enhances the heritage value; and technical innovation, which focuses on evocative lighting. The preliminary design for ‘Hermes’ scored a total of 95 out of 100, compared to 65 for the other two finalist proposals: ‘Shh… See the silence’, by the Finnish studio Valoa Design, and ‘Ad Maiora Semper’, developed by the team led by Pietro Maria Castiglione.

The jury comprised international figures such as David Chipperfield, architect and winner of the Pritzker and Stirling Prizes; Teresa Táboas, Vice-President for Western Europe of the International Union of Architects (UIA); Roger Narboni, an expert in urban lighting and founder of Concepto; Esther Torelló, editor of Lightecture and ambassador for Women in Lighting in Spain; Manuel Castiñeiras, president of the International Committee of Experts for the Camino de Santiago; and representatives from the City Council of Santiago de Compostela and the Regional Government of Galicia. All of them highlighted the high standard of the competition and the quality of the shortlisted entries.

The International Lighting Competition forms part of the Santiago Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD), promoted by the Spanish Government, the Regional Government of Galicia and Santiago de Compostela City Council. This initiative is one of the Plan’s key actions and reflects a commitment to innovation applied to heritage, aimed at creating a more sustainable model of tourist destination that respects the historic city, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.