Prize(s) Winners in Visitor Experience & Museum Exhibition
Lighting Design/Product Company Fabra Lighting Design
Lead Designers Juan Carlos Fabra / Maria Jose Fabra
Architecture Company Oficina Ático
Client Fundación Banco República
Photo Credits Sebastián Aguilar / Maria Jose Fabra
Completion Date 2024
Project Location Cerrito 351, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Entry DescriptionLocated in the Main Hall of Banco República’s Central Office in Montevideo, this project is part of an adaptive reuse initiative that transformed a large banking hall into a cultural venue.
The neoclassical space, monumental in scale, is defined by a central atrium crowned by a grand vaulted ceiling, flanked by six perimeter rooms. Built using a refined palette of noble materials, the architecture exemplifies the value of early 20th-century public design in Uruguay.
Our approach responds to two core objectives: to highlight the historical integrity of the space, and to support a contemporary museum experience that incorporates technology, accessibility, and curatorial flexibility.
The lighting design establishes a cohesive visual language that guides visitors through newly created exhibition areas, ranging from intimate galleries to the expansive central hall. Indirect lighting was integrated into cornices to reveal the geometry of the vaulted ceiling. These layers of soft, diffused light provide ambient illumination that enhances the monumentality of the hall while preserving a contemplative, museum-appropriate atmosphere.
Contemporary insertions are lit with minimal, integrated systems that avoid visual competition with the original architecture. Light acts as a bridge between past and present, subtly connecting new interventions with the building’s historical character.
Sustainability ApproachFrom a sustainability perspective, a wireless lighting control system based on Casambi was implemented to intelligently link natural daylight from the building’s original windows with the artificial lighting system. During daytime hours, when daylight is sufficient, the vaulted ceiling’s lighting is automatically deactivated through programmed settings. This daylight-harvesting strategy significantly reduces energy consumption while preserving the space’s original ambiance.
The system enables precise adjustments of intensity, scheduling, and zoning, ensuring optimal conditions for both artifact conservation and visitor experience. All lighting fixtures use LED technology, with low heat emission and no UV radiation, in accordance with international museum conservation standards.
