Museo del Acero (The Steel Museum)
Monterrey, Mexico
In 2005, Nicholas Grimshaw commissioned OVI to design lighting for the Museo del Acero, a restoration
of a decommissioned 1960s blast furnace.
Visible from nearby Monterrey, the iconic blast furnace’s nighttime lighting was carefully considered. When in operation,
the interior of the furnace blazed with the intense heat of fire and molten metal. Flames smoldered in rich blue and
purple tones, tapering to yellow-orange tips. We transferred this spectrum to the exterior, generating a powerful lighting
identity for the structure that evokes its former life. Violet tones light the monumental structure’s base at night,
while a warm orange glow bathes the tower. Metal halide floodlights illuminate larger scale elements and exposed, low
wattage lights add sparkle at the terrace and catwalks.
A unique challenge was communicating the intended positions of lights on the blast furnace’s complex, catwalk-encrusted
structure to both the client and the building trades. We created a set of 3D drawings that precisely and intuitively
convey the placement and aiming of each luminaire – information that would be impossible to document through traditional
plan, section, and elevation drawings.
Lighting inside the museum makes use of brightness, darkness and contrast to continue the dramatic atmosphere of the exterior.
