Plaza Cisneros is filled with some three hundred white columns that light up after dark into an artificial forest of light. It is one of Medellín's best-known urban interventions, and the story matters as much as the image: until the early 2000s this was one of the most degraded corners of downtown, and the city decided not to fence it off but to flood it with light and put a library beside it.
What to see & do
1. The forest of light
Plaza Cisneros is occupied by some three hundred white columns, up to twenty-four metres tall, that light up at night into an artificial forest of light. It is one of the most recognised urban interventions in Medellín and an image that looks like nothing else in Colombia.
2. Why it exists
Until the early 2000s this square was one of the most degraded and dangerous spots downtown. Medellín's urban transformation chose it as a symbol: instead of fencing it off, the city filled it with light and put a library next to it. Understanding that changes completely what you are looking at.
3. The EPM Library
On the edge of the square, a modern, bright public library, heavily used by students from the centre. You can go in.
4. The Vásquez and Carré buildings
Two early twentieth-century buildings, among the few from that period still standing in the area, restored and in use. They are the historical counterpoint to the columns.
5. San Antonio station next door
The metro's main interchange is a step away, which makes the square a place of constant passage.
Our tours to this place
Parque de las Luces is a photo stop on our downtown routes. You ride in, hear the story and take the shot. Pick your tour:
Related tours
Practical info
- Getting there: metro, San Antonio station, where lines A and B cross. The square is right beside it.
- When to go: the columns switch on at dusk, and that is when the square makes visual sense. But this is downtown: if you go at night, go with company, do not wander, and travel there and back in reliable transport. By day the square is a hard, fairly empty space without the effect of the light.
- How long: twenty minutes. It is a short and very visual stop.
- How to combine it: it is a few blocks from El Hueco and Plaza Botero, though in the opposite direction from Parque Bolívar.
- Safety: this is the place to be blunt. The square is safe to pass through and safe by day, and the surrounding centre at night calls for judgement. If you come at dusk for the lights, come with company and do not stay longer than you need to.
- Admission: the square is public and free. The EPM Library is also free to enter during its opening hours.
Frequently asked questions
How many columns are there?
Around three hundred, some up to twenty-four metres tall.
What time do they light up?
At nightfall. The effect only works after dark; by day the square is an empty, unlovely space.
Is it safe at night?
This is downtown. Go with company, do not linger, and use reliable transport to arrive and leave.
Can you go into the EPM Library?
Yes, it is a public library, open to visitors during its hours.
Is it worth going by day?
As a photograph, no: without the lights on, the square loses almost everything. By day it only makes sense as a way through to El Hueco or Plaza Botero.
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