Parque De Las Luces (Plaza de Cisneros), Medellín

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Parque De Las Luces (Plaza de Cisneros), Medellín

Parque De Las Luces (Plaza de Cisneros), Medellín

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From the battleground of drug cartels to one of Latin America’s most visited cities, Medellín has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few decades. As part of its ongoing urban revival, what was once a notoriously sordid square turned into an art installation, when hundreds of illuminated poles were scattered within its confines, earning it the apt moniker – Parque De Las Luces, or Park of the Lights.

By: Omri Westmark

Date: 15:27 22.06.24

Last Update: 15:27 22.06.24

Parks Urban Medellín Colombia Latin America & Antarctica

Akin to other cities established by the Spanish empire, Medellín features a grid-like street network interspersed with public gardens and piazzas. Among them is Plaza de Cisneros, a square whose origins date back to the 19th century when it thrived as a bustling marketplace, home to copious stands selling anything from fruit and vegetables to meat and dairy products, to name just a few.

Following the commencement of the Antioquia Railway in the 1920’s, which linked Medellín with the river-port city of Puerto Berrío, the plaza was endowed with the city’s central train station. Soon thereafter, the square was renamed after one of the line’s main planners, Cuban engineer Francisco Javier Cisneros. In the years that followed, the square’s commercial role only intensified as freight trains carrying goods from the countryside inundated the city with fresh produce on a regular basis.

Facing growing competition from alternative modes of transportation later in the century, the railway incurred heavy financial losses, something that eventually led to its liquidation in 1961. In the absence of rail-traffic, the square went through a slow process of decay that culminated in the exodus of its vibrant market during the 1990’s.

At that point, Plaza de Cisneros was relegated to nothing more than a shabby place, rampant with all sorts of criminal activity and neglect.

It wasn’t until the mid-2000’s that this central location regained some of its former glory. As part of a citywide project to revitalize Medellín’s historic heart, the square was completely remodeled, with its new incarnation bearing little resemblance to the original layout.

Instead of market stalls, the plaza was sprinkled with a forest of 300 pillars that together provides a small respite from the equatorial sun. Every column stands 22 meters tall and comprises a 4-meter-tall concrete base topped by a metal, épée-shaped upper part extending another 18 meters. As these poles are each equipped with multiple reflectors, the plaza is strikingly lit at night, hence its unofficial nickname – Parque De Las Luces (Park of the Lights).

Whoever ambles across this quirky square will also find here bamboo grooves, a series of pools and fountains, and several important buildings, including the oddly-shaped EPM Library.