The political and economic center of Spain where tradition and innovation coexist
Madrid, with a population of 3.25 million, is the most populous city in Spain and serves as the political and economic center of the country. Its GDP per capita is on par with cities like London, Paris, and Moscow, and it plays a significant role as a global financial center, making it one of Europe’s leading world cities.
Blessed with favorable geographic conditions and water resources, Madrid has flourished as the capital of the kingdom throughout its long history. In the city center, the Royal Palace, where Spanish kings have resided throughout the ages, still stands, reminding visitors of the grandeur of past authority. While Spain is home to many cities of great historical value, Madrid offers a more cosmopolitan and refined impression, which contrasts with its traditional image.
Walking through the city, you’ll find internationally renowned fashion brands lining the streets, attracting tourists and shoppers from around the world. The skyline is also dotted with office buildings and modern concrete high-rises.
Additionally, renovation projects are underway throughout the city, transforming historic buildings. The San Miguel Market, built in 1918, has been remodeled while preserving its original features and is now a popular spot where both tourists and locals gather to enjoy drinks and tapas in a lively atmosphere.
While the structure, including columns and exterior design, remains intact, the addition of glass facades gives the market a modern twist. Inside, a variety of delicious tapas, reminiscent of Japanese department store food courts, are displayed, making it an irresistibly charming place to visit.
By successfully coexisting with its traditions and history, while actively engaging in modern fashion and innovative initiatives, Madrid continues to evolve and blend the old with the new.
Madrid, actively embracing challenges towards technological innovation
Madrid took the lead globally by rapidly transitioning to LED lighting in the city by around 2014. Philips, the world’s largest lighting manufacturer, provided the Madrid government with approximately 220,000 LED street lights. This initiative not only promotes energy savings through the replacement of existing light sources but also aims to realize a smart city through IoT-enabled control of the entire street lighting system.
“This project will be the largest-scale technological upgrade ever in the city of Madrid. To achieve significant goals, change is necessary. In other words, by implementing lighting intensity regulations according to time and place, we can reduce energy consumption in the city of Madrid with energy-efficient lighting fixtures, extend the lifespan of urban lighting, and control light pollution. (Excerpt) By introducing this new lighting system, Madrid can make significant progress toward realizing a smart city. Sustainability will improve, and it will also contribute to the revitalization of the region.” – Quoted from the Signify website (Press release translated from Spanish, announced on December 19, 2014)
These efforts are underway not only in Madrid but also in cities around the world, including Miami (USA), Paris (France), and Jakarta (Indonesia). In the future, lighting fixtures will no longer be just a source of brightness; they will be capable of data collection through sensors, brightness control, and even have the ability to carry data themselves, such as with technologies like Li-fi. It may be said that the realization of a highly information-driven society is rapidly approaching.
When I walked around Madrid, I was struck by the fact that, as the capital, the city was much busier compared to other regional cities in Spain, with heavy traffic and a lively atmosphere.
I visited Madrid around 2015, when the announcement mentioned earlier was released. True to that statement, most of the streetlights had already been replaced with LEDs. Rather than focusing on newly installed streetlights, it seemed that more attention was given to how to convert existing streetlights to LED. This was likely due to cost considerations, as well as the need to preserve the design of the streetlights to maintain the aesthetic of the city.
Lighting fixtures that likely originally used discharge lamps were modified to accommodate LED boards with lenses, which helped diffuse the light evenly. This design took into account the directional lighting characteristics of LEDs. Unlike existing light sources that disperse light in all directions, LEDs, which emit light in only one direction, make it easier to control the light. The active use of LED lighting allows for more efficient illumination of only the necessary areas, contributing to the prevention of light pollution.
The lighting from these streetlights is gradually being incorporated into a smart system, transforming them from mere sources of light to tools for gathering various city data, adjusting brightness levels using AI, and reducing energy consumption. While there are still many challenges, such as security and device updates, Madrid’s initiative holds great potential to change the way we think about street lighting in the future.
The future development of street lighting is highly anticipated
In the center of Madrid, there are many historically significant tourist spots, such as the Prado Museum, which exhibits royal art collections, and the Royal Palace, which is still used as a state guesthouse. Walking around the streets of Madrid at night, you can encounter various city lights.
The first place I visited was Plaza de España, where statues of Spanish literary figure Cervantes and Don Quixote stand. The statue in the center is illuminated by white floodlights, making it appear to float in the pitch-black night sky. Perhaps because there were few strong lights that could cause light pollution or spillover from nearby buildings, the contrast between the statue and its surroundings is striking, making the statue stand out beautifully.
Similarly, the nearby Royal Palace, an imposing architectural presence, quietly emerges from the darkness. The lighting of the building was simple, using floodlights, but instead of harsh, glaring lights, it was gently illuminated.
Such lighting techniques often require a well-controlled surrounding light environment, as excessive brightness or flashy, strong lights can ruin the effect of the illumination. However, it seemed that the lighting in this area was carefully managed.
The streetlights surrounding these monuments are unified in a warm, amber hue, creating contrast not only through brightness but also through the color of the light. The light from the spotlights illuminating the buildings appears slightly greenish white, which is due to the continued use of mercury vapor lamps and other discharge lamps.
In the past, discharge lamps were synonymous with bright white light, but with the rise of high-power, long-lasting LEDs, they are becoming one of the older light sources, similar to fluorescent lamps. Since LEDs are more energy-efficient and offer better color reproduction, it is inevitable that they will eventually replace these older light sources, and we may see less of this greenish-white light in the future.
The next place I visited was Plaza Mayor, which was once Madrid’s largest market and is said to have hosted bullfights, soccer matches, public executions, and more. When I visited at night, many cafés and shops were still open, and the square was bustling with tourists.
As for the lighting, there were no spotlights illuminating the walls of the three-story buildings, likely because they are used as residential apartments. Instead, the lighting from the ground-level arcades spread horizontally at the same level.
The lights installed between the columns of the arcade were cleverly hidden from view when seen from a perspective viewpoint, so the light that bounced off the columns was the only thing visible. This created a beautiful gradient, which was quite impressive.
Puerta del Sol, the central square of the city and a key hub for public transportation, is a major shopping spot in Madrid. It is always bustling with locals and tourists alike. The square features the bronze statue of “The Bear and the Strawberry Tree,” which is also the emblem of Madrid, and is surrounded by important buildings such as the Madrid Regional Prime Minister’s residence and large department stores. At night, the facades of these buildings are illuminated, creating a wall of light around the square, adding a touch of elegance to the lively atmosphere.
However, similar to Plaza de España, the light sources here predominantly use existing discharge lamps, which often emit a greenish hue. There are also discrepancies in color temperature due to aging or mistakes from lamp replacements, giving the impression that maintenance is not being thoroughly handled. As the transition to LEDs progresses, these visual issues may be resolved.
The strong red light illuminating the shop that sells ham
One of the things I often saw while walking around Madrid was shops selling ham. In Spain, it’s common to enjoy tapas, small dishes, with a beer or wine, and this ham is one of the most popular ingredients in tapas. At one shop, a spotlight with a strong red light was used to illuminate the ham on display. In Japan, it’s also common to see a reddish light used in the meat section of supermarkets, as it enhances the red color of the meat.
In Barcelona’s markets, I often saw shops using lighting that emphasized the reddish hue, similar to what I encountered in Madrid. It might not be an exaggeration to say that this ham, which is one of Spain’s most iconic food cultures, has become associated with this reddish light. If such lighting were to be used widely throughout the city, it could eventually become a part of the city’s lighting identity over many years. It would be interesting if the reddish light came to be synonymous with Madrid.