LIGHTING CONCEPT OF PIAZZA SANT’ANTONIO, LOCARNO:
THE IDEAL CITY
Client: Società Elettrica Sopracenerina SES
Lighting concept: Prof. Vittorio Storaro e Arch. Francesca Storaro
Lighting design: Arch. Francesca Storaro (AdL,AILD, AIDI, PLDA,IALD)
Lighting controls engineering: Ing. Andrea Balzarotti
Management of works: Arch. Antonio Pedrazzini – SES
Projectors: Erco, Philips, Bega
Photos: Massimo Proietti
In 2003, the Swiss electrical power company Società Elettrica Sopracenerina (SES) chose to present the city of Locarno with a project of illuminations to mark the 100th anniversary of its foundation, showcasing the four main symbols of the city by bathing them in light: the historic building housing the headquarters of SES, Castello Visconteo, Piazza Sant’Antonio, and the Madonna del Sasso sanctuary (in progress). Castello Visconteo and SES headquarters (external façade and internal courtyard) were completed in 2004.
Piazza Sant’Antonio, includine the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, Casa Rusca and the fuotntain, have been recently realized, on August 2010.
The lighting concept is based on a parallel between Locarno and Plato’s ideal city (ideal = balance).
The doctrine of moral virtues, at the centre of Plato’s philosophical thoughts, is manifested in the tripartite soul which closely correlates to the social classes making up the ideal state (artisans, guardians and auxiliaries).
The virtue of the artisan is Temperance, of the auxiliary Strength, of the guardian Wisdom; it is only through the balance of these that, according to Plato, Justice can exist.
The very same concept of balance inspired the project; given the existence of a relationship between man and his virtues, as much can be visualised by means of light and its colours.
Primary colours (red, green and blue) were used for the moral virtues; the hues of red illuminate the Castello Visconteo, home of the auxiliaries; green is the prevalent colour in piazza S. Antonio, where the people (artisans and merchants) would congregate; and blue, for the courtyard of the ancient Government palazzo (today housing the offices of the Società Elettrica Sopracenerina), seat of the wise. The exterior is illuminated by white, the sum of all colours, representing justice.
PIAZZA SANT’ANTONIO
The parish church of Sant’Antonio is mentioned in documents dating as far back as the beginning of the 14th century, from which the two dates of its consecration – 1353 and 1354 – are known. The 14th century church had a highly decorated, single nave.
The church with its churchyard and forecourt, currently dominated by the statue built in honour of Baron Marcacci, became increasingly central to the life of the city, with its typical ceremonies and secular traditions.
Large-scale renovations of the entire church structure were begun in 1664.
The choir and two large chapels were blessed in 1682, prior to completion of the nave and façade. On 5 June 1692, the church was finally consecrated by Monsignor Ciceri, Bishop of Como.
The bell tower was added to the church in 1771.
In 1886, ownership of the church was handed over to the council, and its façade rebuilt following the wishes of the community to make the church more impressive.
At the top of the façade are statues of Saints Victor and Anthony the Great.
A monument to Baron Giovanni Antonio Marcacci was created in 1856 by Alessandro Rossi, commissioned by the council and Pietro Morettini. The statue, with its underlying fountain, is located in the centre of the new Piazza Sant’Antonio.
Beside the church is Casa Rusca – the city art gallery since a few years – with its iron balcony bearing the coat of arms of the family from whom the building takes its name, and an impressive Baroque granite doorway.
NEUTRAL WHITE LIGHT highlights the façades of the Church of Sant’Antonio, the bell tower and Casa Rusca, illuminating them with oblique lighting from below.
GREEN LIGHT – symbolic of KNOWLEDGE – succeeds in bringing the architectural and sculptural elements of the square to life, including the low and high tympanums of the church, the sculptures of Saints Victor and Anthony the Great, inside the arches of the bell tower, the statue of Baron Marcacci, the lions and figures of the fountain, and the doorway of Casa Rusca.
These illuminations have been created using projectors with metal halide lamps and LED Erco and Philips projectors in a special Green-Green-White 3200 K version, instead of the usual RGB LEDs (which would not have resulted in a pure white through the mixture of three colours), enabling various illuminated scenes to be created, based on the requirements: pure green, green desaturated with white, and pure white.
All managed by a particulrar Lighting controls engineering that allowed the dialogue between DALI and DMX systems.