- The lighting was inaugurated today and highlights the exterior beauty of the façades and the Neo-Mudéjar style tower of the Church of Santa Cristina, located in Madrid in the neighbourhood of Puerta del Ángel.
- The techniques used in this project, based on sustainability and energy efficiency criteria, enable a 56% reduction in the church's energy consumption and will avoid the emission of 797 kg/year of CO2 into the atmosphere.
- During the 25 years that it has been active, the Endesa Foundation has undertaken more than 700 lighting projects for authentic heritage and artistic jewels in Spain.
The Endesa Foundation inaugurated exterior artistic lighting for the façades and tower of the Church of Santa Cristina in Madrid, in an event hosted by the Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, and the church's parish priest, Fernando Bielza, and attended by the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, together with Alberto Serrano, councillor for La Latina (district to which the Puerta del Ángel neighbourhood belongs) as well as the Chairman of Endesa and the Endesa Foundation, Juan Sánchez-Calero, and the Chief Executive Officer of Endesa and Vice-President of the Endesa Foundation, José Bogas.
This artistic lighting project, undertaken by the Endesa Foundation, makes the Church of Santa Cristina not only an artistic benchmark for the late 19th-centrury Neo-Mudéjar style, but also an example with regard to efficiency, since it was undertaken applying techniques that enable greater energy savings and respect for the environment.
The church was built between 1904 and 1906 by the architect Enrique María Repullés y Vargas, to who the city of Madrid also has to thank for the design of the Stock Exchange building and the railings around the Plaza de la Armería where the Royal Palace is located.
The Mayor, Sr Martínez-Almeida, started his speech by congratulating the Endesa Foundation on its 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century in which the institution has undertaken more than 700 lighting projects throughout Spain, 25 of them in Madrid. He then thanked the all the people who worked on making this lighting at the Church of Santa Cristina possible. A church, which, as he said, "is not only a spiritual meeting point, but also from the welfare and social point of view. This lighting will show people that this church is both a place of prayer, and also a place of service, committed to helping people and seeking a better future together."
The Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, highlighted the importance of this church in lives of everyone in the neighbourhood of Puerta del Ángel, pointing out that "Santa Cristina is a point of reference for all those who live here. Lighting up any church involves much more than aesthetics. It helps remind us that as human beings we are all brothers and sisters, so we can collaborate and help each other. Light provides a horizon and gives meaning to life."
In his speech, the Chairman of Endesa and the Endesa Foundation, Juan Sánchez-Calero, pointed out that the work undertaken by the Endesa Foundation during its 25 years of history, caring for and contributing to the conservation of heritage through artistic lighting that aims to responsibly highlight the immense value and splendour of the architectural treasures that our history has bequeathed to us. "We are proud to have had the opportunity to undertake the artistic lighting of the tower and façades of the Church of Santa Cristina, an architectural symbol of the city of Madrid, contributing to highlight the beauty of this church and to make it even more remarkable in these extraordinary surroundings. This is another example of our commitment and strong links to the city of Madrid. We are looking forward to enjoying this lighting and we hope the citizens of Madrid will also do so".
For José Bogas, Chief Executive Officer of Endesa and Vice-President of the Endesa Foundation, initiatives such as this are able to "combine light, culture and social commitment". He also stressed the importance of providing this church with "efficient, responsible lighting of great artistic beauty" that enables us to see that it is an essential part of the surrounding area, a popular neighbourhood in the city. Endesa feels "very grateful and privileged to be able to participate in the beautification of this church which is so iconic for the residents of this Madrid neighbourhood".
A total of 41 lighting points and 9 LED lines were installed with a power of 3.47 kW, which will mean, compared to a conventional installation, a saving of 3,986 kWh per year, and a 56% reduction in energy consumption, as well as avoiding the emission into the atmosphere of 797 kg/year of CO2.
The lighting for the Church of Santa Cristina is another in the series of more than 700 undertaken by the Endesa Foundation in Spain during its 25 years of social and cultural contribution. Of these lighting projects, 30 are in the Community of Madrid, 25 of them in the city itself. These feature the National Archaeological Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, the Sorolla Museum and the National Library.
About the Endesa Foundation
The Endesa Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. A quarter of a century of social work that enables us to look to the future with the challenge of continuing to progress, with a broad and conscious outlook on human beings and the rest of the species that surround us to build a world in which there is room for everyone.
With this in mind, the Endesa Foundation contributes to social development and the conservation of biodiversity through education, training for employment, culture, volunteering and urban biodiversity projects so that there is a future in which we can all live together and in balance with each other.