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Bicentenario and Escrivá de Balaguer parks, in the Vitacura district, have new lighting that complies with lighting standards. The specialists in charge of its design hope that both green areas will become an example for neighbors and residents of other districts to appreciate the benefits of these standards for people and biodiversity, as well as dispelling myths about urban safety in parks.

Entering the southern sector of Vitacura’s Bicentennial Park from the bright avenue of the same name creates a noticeable change in atmosphere when evening falls. Warm lights, contrasting with the cold glow of the streetlights, invite visitors to enter the 27-hectare park located along the eastern bank of the Mapocho River.

Small spotlights illuminate the access ramp, and beams of warm light bathe the long wall that runs parallel to the street. The route continues along paths whose lights perfectly outline the route for visitors without invading the green areas.

The entire project, which will be inaugurated in October, also includes lighting inside the playgrounds and low-level lanterns to discreetly illuminate the footpaths of the Del Muelle and Humedal lagoons, so as to indicate the way without disturbing the aquatic flora and fauna that live in their waters, such as black-necked swans, taguas, herons, triles, turtles, and fish.

None of this is random. The lighting design for the main park in the eastern sector of the Metropolitan Region, as well as that of Escrivá de Balaguer Park, located to the east, is the result of careful work by municipal professionals.

Lighting design in accordance with lighting standards

Behind the lighting of both parks are Eduardo Monsalve, head of the Public Lighting Department of the Municipality of Vitacura, Valerio Morales, and technician Nicolás Ravanal, who were joined in the initial stage by designer Ignacia Soto.

What began as a project for the Diploma in Lighting that Monsalve and Morales completed at the Catholic University was later evaluated and approved by the municipality for implementation. This resulted in two clear examples of urban lighting that combine safety for users, respect for biodiversity, and care for the dark skies.

“We wanted these two projects, located in emblematic parks in the municipality, to stand out from a lighting point of view by reducing artificial light pollution and for their positive impact on people’s health and biodiversity, which are the virtues sought by the New Lighting Regulations,” says Eduardo Monsalve.

Valerio Morales explains that in the case of Bicentennial Park, “we first developed a script that allowed us to define the lighting objectives, which can be summarized as the concept of light as the main guide for the experience,” giving meaning to the lighting. For this reason, the design considers differentiated lighting for walking through the park, marking the entrance, illuminating the playgrounds, and walking around the lagoons.

Lighting that provides safety

The design and modeling work for the lighting in both parks began with hand sketches and then moved on to the free DIALux evo software, which also allowed the luminaires offered by the bidders participating in the tender for their replacement to be simulated.

The professionals comment that their proposal was not without challenges, alluding to the fact that cold light, mostly used in public lighting, is often associated with greater brightness and safety. “We had the opportunity to empirically demonstrate the error of this belief, breaking the paradigm and adjusting to the new lighting regulations,” says Eduardo Monsalve.

“By modeling the lighting levels required by the standard, we were able to create very homogeneous lighting, controlling the lighting and technical factors at the design stage. And in practice, we confirmed that this allows you to feel safe when walking through the park. The dark areas that used to be there are no longer there, and you can easily see who is coming towards you from 50 meters away,” explains Valerio Morales. “And you can see everything that is happening around you clearly, which gives you that feeling of safety,” adds Monsalve.

The reception from neighbors has been very positive. “We have not received any complaints. Some have commented on the contrast between the cold light of the street and that of the parks, but once inside, they do not notice dark areas and their eyes adjust. When we explain that this lighting complies with the new regulations and that it exists to protect the environment, they understand and accept it,” concludes Nicolás Ravanal.