municipal theater of rio de janeiro

Designing the lighting for the Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro meant immersing ourselves in more than a century of history. The project involved restoring over 600 original light fixtures, exploring new technologies, and striking a careful balance between performance, aesthetics, and heritage. As part of the major restoration completed in 2010, we worked closely with conservation specialists to reveal architectural details, colors, and decorative elements that had remained hidden for decades, including meticulously restored murals by Henrique Bernardelli and Eliseu Visconti.

The result is a lighting system that honors the grandeur of this 1901 architectural landmark without ever overshadowing it. From the meticulous cataloging and restoration of the original luminaires to the tailored solutions developed to protect stained glass, paintings, and historic finishes, every decision was guided by the belief that light should never become the protagonist, it should reveal the greatness of the architecture itself. For us, this is what it means to go beyond light: honoring the past, engaging with the present, and illuminating the future.