La Rotonda

The Andreu Tower came into being in the early 1900s. Popularly known as ‘La Rotonda,' this modernist building has taken on many iterations and withstood multiple renovations during its lifespan, from a private residence to an office building.

Between 2010 and 2016, La Rotonda, ‘The last modernist pearl of Barcelona,' underwent a vigorous and attentive restoration. A contemporary lighting design by Barcelona-based lighting designers, BMLD, was put into place to help celebrate the re-birth of this storied structure.

‘We worked very closely with the architects and engineers, as we had to create some customized wiring and mounting solutions for such a historic building,' said Birgit Walter, Founder and Design Principal at BMLD. ‘For each project, we always like to test the exterior fittings before specification to fine tune the lighting effects and to simplify the overall integration,' Walter said, ‘Lumenpulse Lumenfacades fit all the technical, photometry, accessorizing, and size requirements perfectly. The low-profile, available lengths and optics allowed us to hide the luminaires more easily while still providing the amount of light we needed for our design. The Lumenpulse team provided photometric mock-ups and technical support throughout the project in order to simplify the installation and to provide quick solutions in the field.'

BMLD's mandate was a simple, elegant design that would fill the neighborhood with pride and create a memorable site within the city itself.  BDLM honored La Rotunda's architecture through a thoughtful layering of facade lighting. The two, four-story wings have the central tower and pagoda as their axis. The first layer of light is a wallwash and grazing of the building's facade using the Lumenfacade linear luminaires, which require only a 4" set-back from the wall and can blend in with any architecture to remain discreet. The Lumenfacades are mounted on the shallows sills of the balconies and are nearly invisible from the street, protecting the architectural integrity of La Rotunda. The Lumenfacades with asymmetrical wallwash optics prevent light spill into the building's windows and the night sky while the low-profile of the luminaires keep them hidden from onlookers.

The second layer of light was placed on decorative elements such as pinnacles and sculptures, which are lit from the upper terrace. The jewel of the building, the pagoda itself, with its mosaic ceiling, columns, and sculptural decorative elements, is accented using Lumenfacade luminaires that uplight from mountings within its base. The famous pagoda is a welcome beacon in the city's sightlines and nightscape and BMLD's lighting design has made La Rotunda a renewed favorite of the community around it while also showcasing the buildings architectural splendor.  

EQUIPMENT SPECIFIED
10 x Lumenfacade Stand Alone (3', 3000K, 10º x 60º)
8 x Lumenfacade HO (3', 3000K, Asymmetric Wallwash)
4 x Lumenfacade HO (2', 3000K, Asymmetric Wallwash)
8 x Lumenfacade (2' to 3', 2200K to 3000K, Asymmetric Wallwash)