Last June, the authors of the multimedia show “The night of Kinich Ahau” of the archaeological area of Edzná, Mexico, were awarded by the International Engineering Society (IES) with a prestigious Lighting Design Award. We are talking about Elías Cisneros Ávila and Alfredo Escalante Galaz, principals of the firms 333 Luxes and A Cuatro, both from Yucatan. They coordinated the multidisciplinary team that realized the show of lights and sounds of Edzná, and won the first prize in the category “exterior lighting” with a really emblematic project. The lighting of the archaeological area in Campeche took part in the contest together with other 320 projects from all over the world, but the jury decided to award the Yucatan talent. In order to enter “Light of Itzaes”, as the show has been entitled —“The night of Kinich Ahau” is the script’s title—, the authors had to tell their project in 250 words. They used other 250 words to descrive the technical details of lighting. According to Mr Cisneros Ávila and Mr Escalante Galaz the success of this lighting project is due to the integration of conceptual, artistic and aesthetical components it presents. “Unlike other places, in Edzná it seems that some buildings shed light. There is a synergy with the story and dances that generates what we like to call architectural lighting in motion”, explains Cisneros Ávila. Cisneros Ávila also says that the meriti s of the whole team of archaeologists, architects, artists and engineers who worked at the light: Arturo Benavides Castillo, in charge of the archeological site, and the light technicians Carlos Axle Echánove, Pedro Ucán Núñez, Rossana Quiñones Rodríguez and Míriam Pérez Rodríguez, only to mention a few. In Edzná have been used 380 LED “clusters” which emit neither ultraviolet nor infrared rays, in order to not damage the Maya buildings. The Canadian Gilles Arpin, winner of the award as well, has collaborated to the lighting system. Besides the Lighting Design Award, 333 Luxes get an excellent placing as one of the best eight Mexican firms. Actually, the magazine AD (Architectural Digest) México puts Mr Cisneros Ávila at the place of honour, together with Gustavo Avilés, Luis Lozoya, Ricardo Noriega, Kai Diedericsen, Joaquín Jamaica, Pedro Garza and Víctor Palacios.
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