The Villaricos Tower was built in the 18th century to defend the Kingdom of Granada (Almeria, Granada & Malaga) during the reign of Charles III, prompted by the English, Turkish and Berber corsairs on the Mediterranean coast. The town council of Cuevas de Almanzora (Almería), to which this space belongs, decided to showcase this monument with an architectural lighting project that would create a new night-time image and feel of the area. The Tower is an Asset of Cultural Interest, and the Culture Delegation of the Andalusian Regional Government’s Heritage Committee had to endorse the lighting project for it to go ahead.
This lighting project aims to transform how we interpret this monument when natural light fades, through the interaction of light and shade, using the contrasts that light gives us when it shines on a surface. This installation has a control system that changes the light scene during the hours of daily lighting, making the image perceived by the observer changeable, and reducing the luminous flux and electricity consumption in the hours that require it. Flush lighting is used to enhance reliefs; negative fill lighting is used to highlight hidden elements; dynamic targets are projected, and there is an occasional accent lighting on the windows, allowing light to show through various openings of the monument; the light that used to come from the fires that kept the people warm on the cold nights of the 18th century.
“From now on, there is a new landmark on the beaches at the mouth of the Almanzora River that does not guide the boats with its light but marks the unalterable location of something that once protected them.”
