PIEDRA I+D played a pivotal role in creating the visual magic at the Santiago Open Gourmet (SOG) by utilizing 152 Ovation fixtures from CHAUVET Professional. Lighting designer Fernando Piedrabuena employed dynamic lighting to sculpt a new gastronomic space, stunning audiences with a range of unforgettable visual effects.
PIEDRA I+D is renowned for using light as a construction material, crafting comfortable spaces that harmonize with architectural development while incorporating natural light. Founded in 1986 by its current CEO, lighting designer Fernando Piedrabuena, and co-owned by Licenciada Elena Goldin, the company is based in Rosario, Argentina, occupying two floors of a minimalist design building.
Known for their extraordinary creativity and sophisticated designs, PIEDRA I+D has established itself as a leader in the international market. This leadership demands continuous improvement, not only in lighting concepts but also by incorporating products that contribute to a more ecologically sustainable planet.
The studio generates its own projects, offering clients innovative experiences. “I have a vast trajectory in live entertainment lighting design for almost 40 years, and 20 years in architectural lighting. These designs are the solid foundation of PIEDRA I+D,” said Piedrabuena. Leveraging his experience in entertainment lighting, PIEDRA I+D creates scenographic spaces, using illuminated artistic objects to stage areas with high foot traffic.
Among their notable designs is the one created for Falabella’s Santiago Open Gourmet (SOG) in Santiago, Chile, a striking culinary proposal featuring more than 5,000 square meters and 14 restaurants showcasing diverse gastronomic trends. The design of SOG is distinguished by its varied environments: an open space with panoramic city views and a covered area illuminated by a large screen, both enhanced by extraordinary architectural lighting.
Given PIEDRA I+D’s reputation for high-profile projects requiring top-quality products, Fernando Piedrabuena chose the Ovation series from CHAUVET Professional to bring his lighting design to life.
Familiar with the CHAUVET Professional brand from his work in the show business, Piedrabuena reached out to Jorge Barcala of NASH Ingeniería, the distributor of CHAUVET Professional and CHAUVET DJ in Argentina. Given the significance of the installation, Barcala recommended contacting Paula Ortiz, Business Development Manager for Chauvet in Latin America, who then advised PIEDRA I+D to connect with José Manzano of Chemtrol to acquire the fixtures in Chile.
After discussing the Ovation models with José Manzano, CEO of Chemtrol Spain and CHAUVET Professional distributor in Chile, Piedrabuena was impressed. “Manzano was spot on. The Ovation series integrates seamlessly into any architectural style, whether classic or contemporary. Its form and versatility add value to every detail,” Piedrabuena acknowledged.
To realize his design, PIEDRA I+D employed 72 OVATION E-910FC units, along with 8 OVATION E-910FCIP and 72 OVATION H-605FC, installed across two 40-meter-long rigging bridges in the ceiling. All fixtures were supplied by Chemtrol Chile, which also assisted in the installation.
Thanks to the addition of a lime-green LED emitter in CHAUVET Professional’s Ovation series, the unique LED matrix boosts lumen output in both white and lighter tones. It also expands the color rendering range in the red and blue spectrums, enabling brighter, more vivid colors for professional applications requiring high-level lighting effects.
“PIEDRA I+D’s experience with the Ovation fixtures was excellent! They offer a unique light quality, great CRI & CQS color rendering, and a homogenous, compact beam—I love it. We used the H-605 for ambient lighting and the E-910 for highlights and gobo projections. The ‘FULL COLOR (RGBAL) ERS style’ and the white range from 2800k to 6500k make the color palette infinite,” Piedrabuena described.
While the SOG project was PIEDRA I+D’s first design using fixtures manufactured by Chauvet, the success of the project has led the studio to specify them in other current designs.
Among the key qualities of the Ovation series, Fernando Piedrabuena highlighted “the uniformity of the light it emits, especially considering it’s an LED source. Another is the color palette, RGBAL+ERS+DINAMIC W. These are a great help for my designs.”
On a technical note, Piedrabuena sought a fixture in CHAUVET Professional’s Ovation line that guaranteed uniform lighting. “For that to happen, technically, the Fresnel must be of good quality. If not, it doesn’t work, and Chauvet guarantees quality,” he noted.
“It’s a great pleasure to work with a lighting designer of Fernando Piedrabuena’s caliber. His vision and creativity provide lighting experiences in which we are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase Chauvet’s products and work with PIEDRA I+D, backed by the excellent local support of our distributors,” said Paula Ortiz.
The lighting design for Falabella’s Santiago Open Gourmet, a space envisioned as a grand theatrical stage, marks the first permanent sensory experience project in Latin America proposed by PIEDRA I+D.
For PIEDRA I+D’s CEO, “realizing projects holds great significance, especially when they carry a strong artistic inspiration.”
With the homogeneous and impressive lighting provided by CHAUVET Professional’s Ovation fixtures, the prestigious Argentine lighting design studio succeeded in creating an unforgettable experience through lighting resources.
The advanced technology represented by the Ovation range ensures that the fixtures installed at SOG will remain at the forefront for years to come.
