Vela di Calatrava

The Vela di Calatrava lights up with new energy.

Rome, Italy

Location

Rome, Italy

Lighting Design

Dolce e Luce Lighting Design Studio, Italy

Architect

Santiago Calatrava

Photography

Luca Adami

Year

2024

Vela di Calatrava

The Vela di Calatrava lights up with new energy.

In the skies above Rome, a new light comes to life. The imposing Vela di Calatrava, with its architectural elegance, now stands as a symbol of rebirth, ready to welcome citizens, travelers, and pilgrims to the heart of Tor Vergata in Rome. This is more than just lighting—it's a true visual experience, capable of transforming the structure into a moving work of art. As evening falls, the lights begin to narrate a story through color and atmosphere: from the warm hues of sunset to the purity of moonlight, from the shades of the sky to the silence of the stars. Light blends with the architecture, enhances it, and transforms it into a landmark for the Eternal City. This is a project that outlines the shape of a radiant future, in harmony with time, space, and the timeless beauty of Rome.

Prolamp: precision and power for an iconic structure

Here, light becomes narrative—an emotion, a living presence that moves with the passing hours. The new lighting design for the Vela di Calatrava transforms the architecture into a shifting stage, where each color marks a moment, a transition, a breath. Making this visual story possible is Prolamp by i-Led, a high-performance outdoor projector developed by Linea Light Group. Equipped with RGBW LEDs and a high-precision narrow-beam optic, Prolamp was chosen for its ability to enhance the structure’s texture with precise, even control, highlighting every detail of the sail’s metallic grid. Fully managed via DMX protocol, the lighting system allows for dynamic and finely tuned programming of lighting scenarios, capable of mirroring the natural rhythm of the day.

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At sunset, a symphony of light

The choreography of light begins at sunset, with warm shades gradually shifting to cooler tones—from lunar white to sky blue to deep navy—fading into a luminous echo that seems to dissolve into the night sky. The result is a constantly evolving landscape that restores depth, rhythm, and life to one of the city’s most iconic structures. A poetic, technologically advanced work of art, entirely powered by renewable energy, merging sustainability, innovation, and beauty into a gesture of urban rebirth. The sails once again speak to the city, guided by a light that is not only visible—but profoundly evocative.