Buenos Aires, Argentina – With a combination of underwater and surface-mounted LED lighting, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is helping to restore the iconic Floralis Genérica sculpture in the center of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The enormous 23 meter high sculpture that weighs 18 tons has been given a complete facelift.  Every morning at 8.00am the flower’s gigantic petals open to greet the day and close at sunset with an array of beautiful colors reflecting from its polished steel surface.

Philips placed LED lighting (Philips ColorReach Powercore luminaires and Philips ArchiPoint iColor Powercore RGB) at the lower ends of each petal, at the center of the sculpture and in each of the four Floralis pistils. The complete lighting system can be controlled remotely by a computer to create dynamic lighting effects. Philips also provided LED spot lighting (C Splash 2 LED) that is submerged in a pool surrounding the giant sculpture.

The sculpture was originally created in 2002 and has just been restored. It was a gift to the city by the Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano. Catalano once said that the flower "is a synthesis of all the flowers and is both a hope that is reborn every day to open."  

Philips is also proud to illuminate other iconic places like the ‘Monumento a los Españoles’ ; the Metropolitan Cathedral ; Monument to Güemes, in the province of Salta; and has already completed 56,000 out of 91,000 streetlights it is replacing in the City of Buenos Aires with new connected LED street lights. Once the installation is completed this will enable the city to reduce the amount of electricity it consumes for lighting by 50%.