Casa Alcaletta

Casa Alcaletta

Casa Alcaletta is a project which strikes in recovering the night sky for Alcalá de Henares, near Madrid. The galactical landscape is a lost element in our lives, and this project wants to take it back. The sentence to present it was:

Something is happening in Alcalá. Under it, a monster sleeps, blind by the light of the city, moaning to see the stars again.

Two parts were designed. At first, an urban intervention. This one would turn off all street lights in Alcalá de Henares, and set little lights of low intensity and bright which would be turn on by sensors. That way, if no people walk by, no light pollution. Besides this, fluorescent algae would be placed in public fountains, and art ultraviolet devices installed along the streets, to encourage night cultural activity.

The second intervention was the rehabilitation of Mercedarios Descalzos old chapel. It would turn in a place where darkness is permanent, so people could experience what is to live in a place with just the minimun light needed for seeing.

This project proposes an experience, a way of learning and example of how to come back to an early stage of mankind, when the act of staring the stars was something common and inspiring.

There was also a premise of urban nature, which talked about making the project friendly with urban birds and animals.