A Historic Plaza Receives a Lighting Makeover

Caycedo Plaza is the commercial, religious and civic heart of Santiago de Cali. The square located in the historic center of Valle del Cauca, Colombia and is named after Joaquín Cayzedo y Cuero, a hero of the country’s Independence. Caycedo Plaza is adorned with a statue commemorating Joaquín Cayzedo y Cuero and is surrounded by hundreds of luscious palm trees, creating a beautiful outdoor atmosphere for locals and tourists alike.

In December of 2024, the square received a lighting renovation in which 92 palm trees were illuminated to bring this urban greenspace to life and allow residents and vistors to safely enjoy the space at night. The project was commissioned by Alcaldía de Santiago de Cali Unidad Administrativa Especial de Servicios Públicos Municipales, who chose to focus attention on the greenery. The palm trees in Plaza de Caycedo play a key role in defining the space, connecting it visually and culturally to the surrounding buildings, making it a recognizable landmark in Cali’s historic center. The new lighting design aimed to highlight the over 100 ft tall curving palm trees as an environmental landmark, while also blending in seamlessly with the previously illuminated parts of the space.

The palm trees were illuminated with Color Kinetics Vaya Flood RGBW (now specified with Blast gen5 RBGW) luminaires. The luminaires were placed on a concrete platform 70 cm (27.6 in) from the base of each palm tree's trunk and about 20 cm (7.9 in) from the top of the planter's green area. Sand and gravel filters were used for water drainage and a vandal-proof metal structure was used. Interact landmark offers remote control of the luminaires with Pharos as the controller.

Color Kinetics products were selected for their high-quality and reliable LED lighting solutions. Their innovative technology coupled with their flexible design options made them the ideal solution for this project. In addition, lighting designers opted for Color Kinetics luminaires for their energy-efficiency which aligned with the project's sustainability goals. The narrow beam of light allows for beautiful emphasis of the delicately curving palm trees’ trunk and foliage with very little light pollution.