- The show, entitled 'Toledo, the Universal City', will be projected on 6, 7 and 8 September as part of the 'Luz Toledo 2018' celebrations.
- The Zocodover square will also be transformed by the 'Atmósfera' laser light and special effects show during the celebrations.
- The event will be carbon-neutral and will have areas reserved for persons with disabilities and persons with impaired sight or hearing
Toledo City Government awarded ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño (APD) the contract to design and execute the 'Luz Toledo 2018' audiovisual show to be projected on the Alcazar façade on 6, 7 and 8 September; the show will be screened at 45-minute intervals several times per night, starting at 22:00 hours.
Under this year's title, 'Toledo, the Universal City', the show includes the latest projection technology, lighting and 3D effects as well as music to highlight Toledo's contribution to the history of Europe.
ACCIONA has also been engaged to produce the 'Atmosphere' show in the Zocodover square, using laser lighting and artificial fog to produce a dream-like atmosphere.
Toledo, the universal city
In the framework of European Year of Cultural Heritage, the 'Toledo, the Universal City' show will underscore the city's contribution to the world and its historical, cultural, artistic and literary legacy.
The show will use twelve 22,000 lumen projectors and four 30,000 lumen projectors to use the façade of the Alcazar as a giant projection screen; by mapping images onto the building's surface, the show will generate optical illusions and 3D effects. A total of 60,000 W of sound will be produced from four separate points.
The soundtrack has been composed specifically for the show, adapting to the pace of the narrative.
The show will refer to historical events and locations that are essential for understanding the city's history.
Initially, the façade of the Alcazar will become the 3rd century Roman palace, which was the seat of the praetor (vestiges of the first structure to overlook the city of Toledo from this high rock).
Then, the Alcazar, which is currently the headquarters of the Library of Castilla la Mancha, will appear to open its walls to reveal a range of books that bear witness to the city's artistic, literary, landscape and gastronomic heritage.
Another highlight of the show will be the 1931 twinning of the city with Toledo, Ohio, the first such initiative ever. Toledo subsequently twinned with other cities such as Damascus (Syria), Havana (Cuba), Heraklion (Greece), and Nara (Japan), all of which will be recreated on the façade of the Alcazar.
The show will conclude with a tour of the iconographies and artistic styles that are represented in Toledo and which have had an international influence; this will be accompanied by 3D effects building to a grand finale of light and colour.
The show will have specific areas for persons with disabilities and persons with impaired sight or hearing.
Atmósfera (Atmosphere)
Over the same three days, ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño will also execute a conceptual artistic show entitled 'Atmósfera' in Toledo's Zocodover square.
This performance-type event will use lasers and fog machines.
The lighting will produce an artificial ceiling effect on the artificial fog coupled with a custom soundtrack to give viewers the feeling that they are in a dream.
Cultural Engineering
Projects such as the ones for Toledo City are part of what ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño calls “Cultural Engineering”, a concept consisting of using cutting-edge visual and sensory technology to convey the history, traditions and values of a city or location so as to enhance its appeal to tourists.
Carbon-neutral event
As a result of ACCIONA's focus on sustainability in all its activities, the show will be carbon-neutral. In other words, the related CO2 emissions will be calculated and offset through a clean energy project, so that the final balance of emissions is zero.
ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño designs, organizes and produces sustainable events and seeks to minimise their ecological footprint while also leveraging the environmental, economic and social opportunities that they can bring to the areas where they take place.