Christmas shoppers in Madrid can stroll under glittering circles of LEDs designed by Italian architect Teresa Sapey (+ slideshow).
The Christmas lights were designed by Teresa Sapey for Calle Serrano, an upmarket shopping street in the Spanish capital.
Every year, Madrid's city council asks a designer or architect to create festive street lighting.
Sapey used energy efficient LEDs to form unique combinations of pattern and colour in each circle.
She founded her architecture studio in Madrid in 1990.
We previously featured Christmas lights in the shape of stars and dominoes that were installed across Lisbon last year.
We've also reported on another outdoor lighting project in Madrid – an outbreak of illuminated silicone nipples stuck onto statues by guerrilla lighting designers Luzinterruptus.
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Here's some more information from the designer:
Every single year, Madrid council asks some of the most important designers, architects or courtiers to make designs for Madrid’s streets. Teresa Sapey was asked to conceive Serrano Street’s Christmas lighting. Placed in one of the most luxurious neighbourhoods in Madrid, Serrano Street is well known for the high fashion designer’s shops.
It seemed to be a very difficult task, but Teresa thought this was a good chance to lighten up the street using very colourful and geometric designs. Her aim was to turn the grey and cold Serrano into a warm place, filled with colour.
Her designs have a countless amount of colours combined with circle shapes. Each one is different from the others, forming a sequence of drawings that can be seen from both sides.
This design concerns as well environmental conservation and ecology. Made by using LED technology, it is also sustainable and efficient, requiring less power and producing low energy consumption.
Our government doesn’t have money for public sanity but has money for this. Definitely, Spain is a shit.
“Made by using LED technology” – they should have included how expensive the upfront costs are! Hope they use them for many years so they can realize the savings!
Here’s a country that shows its splendour even in times of misery. I bow down subjected to admiration, whatever the sacrifice may be.
All Christmas lights being used in Madrid this year were already used in 2011, 2010, etc. There has been no new spending on designers or materials. Only installation costs. Some designs are not bad.
So much for the economic woes. It’s the Christmas season. Let’s spend a “little”.
Hope drivers still see the traffic lights behind this pretty madness.
Feliz Navidad!
People need to be cheered up. If pretty lights on the streets can help with that, then I don't think it's money ill spent :)
Very nice ones.
Throughout history, great things have been accomplished in moments of crisis. Stunning lighting installation!
To bring good cheer in times of hardship is great, but this is over the top!
It should be against the law to try and cheer people up during Christmas time, lots of people don't celebrate Christmas and it's like punching them in the face with these disgusting lights. It makes me want to vomit.