Barcelona’s Grec Festival is illuminated by a water-like light installation by LedsC4. Its development recovered nearly 100,000 plastic bottles from the ocean.

Key features

A collaboration between Catalan lighting brand LedsC4 and Gravity Wave – a company focused on repurposing plastic waste – Ona comprises 15 panels. The installation is positioned along the main walkway of Teatre Grec’s gardens, toward its open-air ampitheatre. Compressing 98,505 bottles and 850 kg total of plastic waste, the translucent rectangular elements measure 2 m by 1 m. Their textural flecks of blue and green nod to fishing nets, a common type of trash found in the ocean. Each panel is backlit by a luminaire from LedsC4’s quick-to-install Cube Pro Linear collection. Pre-programmed gradients of cobalt blue to turquoise green give the illuminated gardens an atmospheric, wavey fluidity, bolstered by the use of LedsC4 designs in an adjacent pergola area and restaurant. The team developed a special support system with the same finishing as the lighting to ensure total stability during the event. 

FRAME’s take

With multiple areas to eat and drink before enjoying a performance, Teatre Grec’s gardens are beautifully landscaped. But when the sun goes down, how do you maintain the energy of a venue’s social spaces post-performance? Unlit before the start of evening shows, the Ona panels provide for an immersive surprise afterwards. Bathed in aqueous light, the hospitality spaces take on a new face, keeping the momentum of the festival alive and inviting visitors to linger in the gardens and restaurant. LedsC4’s sustainable, simple intervention demonstrates how temporary events can work with brands to make their sites more experientially impactful while ultimately reducing their built impact.