- The conceptual design proposals titled “Ad maiora semper”, “Hermes”, and “Shh… See the silence” will compete in the second phase of the competition to redefine the nocturnal landscape of this exceptional setting.
- The international jury, made up of renowned professionals and institutional representatives, assessed a total of 21 proposals submitted by national and international teams.
- The competition is part of the Santiago Tourism Sustainability Plan, funded by the Government of Spain, the Regional Government of Galicia, and the City Council of Santiago, with a total investment of €3 million.
Santiago de Compostela, 5 November 2025. –
The Public Sector Procurement Platform has just published the Jury’s ruling on the evaluation of the proposals admitted to Phase I (Conceptual Ideas) of the Ornamental and Artistic Lighting Competition for the Monumental Surroundings of the Cathedral. The jury, which met on 15 October in Santiago de Compostela, evaluated the 21 national and international conceptual ideas and selected as finalists the three proposals —“Ad maiora semper”, “Shh… See the silence”, and “Hermes”— which achieved at least 50% of the maximum possible score in the conceptual ideas phase.
Specifically, “Ad maiora semper” achieved 75 points, recognised for its technical elegance and “devout” approach, proposing a gradual and silent light focused on the Cathedral’s monumentality; “Hermes” was awarded 95 points for its comprehensive reading of the architecture and history of the space, its conceptual clarity, originality, and balanced lighting between monument and surroundings; “Shh… See the silence” obtained 85 points, praised for its ability to recreate an atmosphere of serenity and respect, its aesthetic and emotional integration with the historic complex, and its minimal heritage impact. Each of the three finalist conceptual ideas will receive a €18,150 prize.
The three teams must now submit a complete preliminary project within 30 calendar days from the publication of the announcement on the contracting authority’s profile.
The winning proposal will be selected in the second phase of the process and will undertake the drafting and direction of the lighting works for Praza das Praterías, the pilot project of this initiative, with an estimated budget of €121,000.
Redefining the nocturnal landscape
The competition aims to reinterpret, in an integrated way, the lighting of the Cathedral’s surroundings, encompassing the Praza do Obradoiro, Praza das Praterías, Praza da Quintana and Praza da Inmaculada, as well as the connecting streets and passageways. The project seeks to use light as a tool for communication with citizens, to evoke emotion and well-being, to enhance the value of cultural heritage, and to strengthen the identity of the territory and its inhabitants.
In this regard, the intervention will be guided by three key principles: sustainability and energy efficiency, reducing light pollution; aesthetic integration, highlighting the monumental diversity of both the Cathedral and its surroundings; and technical innovation and artistic sensitivity, creating an emotional, calm and healthy lighting environment for residents and visitors alike.
A prestigious international jury
The evaluation of the proposals, both in the conceptual and preliminary project phases, is entrusted to an independent jury composed of internationally renowned professionals: british architect David Chipperfield, Pritzke and Stirling Prize laureate; architect Teresa Táboas, Vice President for Western Europe at the International Union of Architects (UIA); urban lighting expert Roger Narboni, founder of the Concepto Studio in Paris; Esther Torelló, editor of Lightecture Magazine and Spanish ambassador for Women in Lighting; and Professor Manuel Castiñeiras, Chairman of the International Committee of Experts on the Way of St James, together with representatives of the public administrations participating in the Santiago Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD).
A city project
The International Lighting Competition forms part of the PSTD, promoted by the Government of Spain, the Regional Government of Galicia, and the City Council of Santiago de Compostela, with a total investment of €3 million in sustainable transformation projects.
This initiative represents one of the core actions of the Plan, combining lighting innovation applied to heritage with the enhancement of both civic and visitor experience, and is supported technically by the Santiago-based company TRIVIUM.
For more information
Communication Office – International Lighting Competition
comunicacion@trivium.gal