Prize(s) Winners in Heritage Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company VBNB Lighting | Víctor Barbero & Noemi Barbero
Lead Designers Noemi Barbero
Other Designer's names Víctor Barbero
Client Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt
Photo Credits MC Zumalacarregui
Completion Date 12th August 2025
Project Location Luxor, Egypt
Entry DescriptionThe “Hatshepsut” project reinterprets the funerary temple of Egypt’s only female Pharaoh through light. Inspired by its solar alignment, ascending terraces, and carved reliefs, the design creates a journey from the earthly to the divine. Layers of grazing light and shadow reveal hierarchies and textures, giving voice to the architecture and evoking the Queen’s enduring legacy.
At Deir el-Bahari, where cliffs guard the Valley of the Kings, Queen-Pharaoh Hatshepsut and her architect Senenmut built a temple proclaiming her divine ascent. The lighting design retraces that procession from earth to eternity—ramps as luminous ascents, terraces as monumental stages, statues as living presences, sanctuaries as sacred stillness.
Custom LED systems feature super-elliptical and asymmetric optics with tailored diode spacing for perfect uniformity and optimized energy through DALI-CASAMBI control. To preserve the monument, 600 bespoke Aswan sandstone bases—hand-sculpted by Egyptian artisans—anchor fixtures by gravity, avoiding drilling into ancient floors. Handcrafted fiberglass housings imitate sandstone, concealing and protecting equipment and cabling from sun, sand, and impacts. A concealed metallic frame absorbs visitor shocks, preserving aiming and durability. Developed between 2017-2025 with archaeologists, the project was inaugurated in September by Egypt and the Kings of Spain.
Sustainability ApproachSustainability guided the project from concept to installation. Local Aswan sandstone—authorized by the SCA for heritage restoration—was used for all bases, supporting circular economy principles and local employment. Every element was handcrafted in Egypt, sustaining artisanship while minimizing transport footprint. Custom ultra-efficient LEDs illuminate 30,000 m² with only 13 kW, while the DALI-CASAMBI system allows precise regulation of light levels, optimizing consumption. Low-heat emissions protect reliefs and eliminate the need for air conditioning in interior sanctuaries. Developed in collaboration with archaeologists, the fully reversible system ensures respect, longevity, and a timeless balance between energy, heritage, and human continuity—cultural and human sustainability, where Egyptian artisans, heirs to this legacy, continue the dialogue of light begun millennia ago.
Company DescriptionLighting design, experts in Heritage Lighting
