Faro del Comercio
Encyclopedia
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Luis Barragán
Luis Barragán
Luis Barragán Morfin was a Mexican architect. He was self-trained.-Early life:Educated as an engineer, he graduated from the Escuela Libre de Ingenieros in Guadalajara in 1923 and was self-trained as an architect.After graduation, he travelled through Spain, France , and...
and constructed in 1984 by architect Raúl Ferrera. It is a recognizable sight in Monterrey among many other modern manmade landmarks, such as Neptune's Fountain (Fuente de la Vida), the Monterrey City Hall, the Papal Bridge (El Puente del Papa
El Puente del Papa
El puente del Papa is a bridge located in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, across the usually dry Río Santa Catarina. It took its name when Pope John Paul II offered a Catholic mass over the bridge....
), and the Bridge of Unity (Puente de la Unidad
Puente de la Unidad
Puente de la Unidad or Viaducto de la Unidad is a cable-stayed bridge designed by Óscar Bulnes that crosses the Santa Catarina River and connects the cities of Monterrey and San Pedro Garza García in the Mexican state of Nuevo León...
) in San Pedro, connecting that municipality to Monterrey. These sites are intended on one hand to complement the city's few remaining traditional landmarks, such as, the Bishopric Palace (Palacio del Obispado
Palacio del Obispado
The Palacio del Obispado is one of Monterrey's oldest buildings. The Palace was constructed in the middle of a hill by the end of the 18th century....
) and Museum, the City's Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora de Monterrey), the Central Post Office (old Monterrey City Hall), and the State of Nuevo Leon Government building, on the north end of the Macroplaza. On the other hand they are also intended to project an image of a city that prides itself as being the most progressive large industrial city of Mexico.
El Faro del Comercio was built in commemoration of the founding of the Chamber of Commerce of Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
's on its 100 year anniversary. It's located near the south end of the Macroplaza
Macroplaza
The Macroplaza or La Gran Plaza is a town square or plaza located in the heart of the city of Monterrey, Mexico.The Macroplaza was built in the early 1980s during the governorship of Alfonso Martínez Domínguez...
facing the City's Cathedral and behind the new Monterrey City Hall. El Faro del Comercio is 69.80 meters tall and 12.33 meters wide. Its bright reddish-orange color attracts attention when visiting the Macroplaza, Monterrey's central park.
At nights, the landmark frequently projects a rotating green spotlight which interrupts the city's night sky with its beam in a somewhat random cycle in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
. Recently (2007), many large reflecting white spotlights from the nearby Museum of Mexican History Museo de Historia Mexicana and Santa Lucia Riverwalk
Santa Lucia Riverwalk
The Santa Lucia Riverwalk is an artificial river located in the Mexican city of Monterrey, Nuevo León.- History :Construction of the river began in 1996, but for economic reasons was stopped for nine years. In 2005, construction continued and was finished in 2007...
, and around the Bishopric Hill where in 2005 the largest Mexican flag was installed (Banderas monumentales
Banderas monumentales
The banderas monumentales are a set of monuments located throughout Mexico. They are part of a program started in 1999 under President Ernesto Zedillo that is currently administered by the Secretariat of National Defense...
) and flown at night, as well as from high-power reflectors of many commercial establishments, clash randomly in the sky, visible from most locations in Monterrey and the surrounding areas.
After failing or being "out of commission" for several years due to an impractical technical laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
mechanism which intended to have three colored lasers and a much greater visual impact on the dark skies of the surrounding areas, some of the original mechanism was salvaged and partially replaced and redesigned to have some operational ability with the green color. The redesign has some success since green is the color for which the eye is most sensitive and allows the perception of more light for the power limitations. However, the new design falls far short of the original claims for the construction. The structure was repainted after the laser renovation and reinaugurated at the 196th Independence Day
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
Anniversary celebration on September 16, 2006.
