Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company DeltArchLD and LiD - Light In Design
Lead Designers Gerardo Fonseca and Eder Ferreira
Architecture Company A+P Arquitetos Associados
Client A+P Arquitetos Associados
Photo Credits Josép Vidal
Other Credits Technical team: Sarah Corrêa
Completion Date 26/02/2025
Project Location Salvador, Bahia, Brasil
Entry DescriptionThe Lacerda Elevator, a century-old icon of Salvador, transcends mere urban transport to reaffirm itself as a living monument. The new lighting concept enhances its nocturnal presence as a landmark, transforming the structure into a lantern in the open sky, visible from afar yet in harmony with its historic essence.
The intervention preserves authenticity by emphasising the restored cladding with 4000K white light, ensuring chromatic fidelity and reviving the original atmosphere of the nineteenth century. Inside, light guides movement: linear profiles provide both safety and comfort, while architectural details such as the vaulted ceiling are brought into focus. At the upper access, direct points assist orientation, complemented by diffused light that conveys amplitude and lightness.
Constraints such as limited resources and the risk of vandalism inspired durable and efficient solutions. The use of RGB lighting was reinterpreted, colour appears only within the lift cars, revealed through the shaft openings as they move, a subtle metaphor for celebration that honours the monument.
Beyond functionality, the project reinforces cultural identity and collective pride, uniting technique, poetry, and historical respect while creating new urban experiences.
Sustainability ApproachSustainability and integration guided the entire process. By limiting RGB to a symbolic intervention, environmental impact was reduced while ensuring coherence with the historic surroundings. The design prioritised efficiency, achieving an average load of only 3 W/m² across the total 3,960 m² area. This approach ensures durability, minimises energy consumption and supports long-term maintenance. The result is lighting that balances artistic expression and responsibility, introducing contemporaneity without breaking from the historic landscape.
