Claypaky has taken center stage in a striking new architectural lighting installation at Cenco Costanera in Santiago, Chile, transforming Latin America’s tallest shopping mall into a dynamic nighttime landmark.
Conceived by Icardi Producciones under the artistic and technical direction of lighting designer Alex Paredes, and with the support of MMT Chile, the project transformed the newly renovated fifth-floor dining area of the shopping center through an immersive integration of light, design and technology.
We were asked to bring the space to life and make it stand out. We did a demo with Claypaky that was so well received that the project ended up expanding to four times its originally planned size.
The installation was designed not only to illuminate the space, but also to create a daily visual spectacle in which the architecture itself becomes part of the narrative.
At the heart of the project is the building’s expansive glass skylight, transformed into a canvas of color, movement and atmosphere through the use of 24 Claypaky Arolla MP Spot fixtures and 20 MIDI-B units. Installed above technical grilles and carefully concealed among vegetation and decorative elements, the fixtures project light onto the glass structure, creating an elegant architectural effect while remaining virtually invisible to visitors.
“The idea was for the light to be felt without the fixture interrupting the atmosphere”, says Paredes. “Claypaky gave us exactly what we needed: control, intensity, optical quality and a compact size that allows the equipment to blend into the environment without sacrificing performance”.
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The designer, who began his career in 1994 and has worked with renowned Chilean artists such as Los Tres, Américo, Luis Jara and Noche de Brujas, has increasingly focused his work on architectural lighting. “I love it; I feel Chile lacks color, it lacks light”, he says. “For me, light communicates, transforms and creates identity”.
The installation also involved major technical challenges, from cable routing across different levels of the building to integrating more than 100 meters of connectivity with the shopping center’s datacenter network. Thanks to MA Lighting control systems, the project now operates in an automated way, activating every night as part of the building’s visual identity.
“Today, the system turns on every day at 7:30 p.m., shuts down at midnight and runs on an automated schedule. It is now operating perfectly, and that is an enormous source of pride”, explains Paredes. The project received a very positive response from both the public and the building’s management team, who have already requested support for future lighting initiatives within the tower.
MMT Chile, Claypaky’s official representative in the country, played a key role throughout the process, providing technical consultancy, photometric studies, documentation, virtual walkthroughs and after-sales support.
Alex designed the project based on products he had already tested before, and that allowed for a very enriching technical dialogue from the very beginning. We were extremely careful in selecting the right equipment and supporting the client throughout the process, says Simón Manríquez, Market Development Manager for Claypaky at MMT.
For Paredes, the collaboration was essential: “Everything we asked for, they delivered. They came to inspect the installation, made sure everything was working properly and offered support for any future needs. That is fundamental for a technician”.
Manríquez concludes: “Our mission is centered on guaranteeing satisfaction. We want every project to be an opportunity for mutual growth”.
The result is a high-impact architectural installation that not only illuminates one of Santiago’s most iconic buildings, but also demonstrates how creative vision, advanced LED technology and precise execution can come together to transform the urban experience through light.
