The lighting infrastructure is part of cities everyday life. We almost do not realize when we have it but we are always aware when we do not. It has always been an issue to study, due to the efficiency, the esthetic and the architectural power it has. Both in the public and the private sector, light is a phenomenon we always look for. Since the begging of the times, it is a powerful tool that human has created to control nature. First it was with fire, later with electricity. On the other hand, darkness has been the thing to avoid, but not always for everyone. The fact that we as humans can control de light means that we also have the power of choosing when and where should be dark. Dark to hide the bad side, the bad behaviours, as the concept “darkside” explains itself. Therefore, at the end, it is all about controlling the differences, framing the social issues and dividing two sides.
This study case about the lighting infrastructure takes as example a square in the well known city of Barcelona, where I used to live for many years. The Plaça de la Mercè is a perfect example to show how light can be very exclusive and how it can create different spaces in the same square. The cultural and social context also needs to be study in this case, regarding inequalities in comparison with Stockholm, and how the city responds in different ways due to that.
_Lucia Olavarri Casado
archandphil 
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