When wall art and light reflect the return of nature to the city

A tribute to Barakaldo's industrial past

In February 2025, artist Marta Lapeña created a monumental fresco on the pillars of a bridge in Gran Parque de Barakaldo, a district of Zamalanda near Bilbao (Spain). Inspired by the old chimneys of the site's industrial furnaces, the work embodies the metamorphosis of an area where the infrastructures of yesteryear have now given way to a large landscaped urban park.

The visual motif, in vertical gradation, evokes a nascent forest rising along the concrete. It is a visual expression of the reclaiming of the site by vegetation, a testament to the resilience of nature in a profoundly transformed urban environment.

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LuminoKrom® for night-time operations

When night falls, the pillars come alive: LuminoKrom® photoluminescent paints reveal new plant forms that seem to invade the concrete structures. This luminous emanation symbolizes the site's new-found vitality and, in the dark, makes visible the dialogue between industrial memory and ecological renewal.

This project illustrates how mural art, combined with LuminoKrom® , can sublimate public space while telling a strong local story, rooted in the territory's identity.

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Luminescent marking - Site information
  • Type of project: Fresco on the pillars of a bridge spanning the park. This fresco merges the industrial past with natural elements, creating a visual transition reminiscent of these chimneys, but gradually decaying to evoke the image of a forest dissolving in height. This visual metaphor symbolizes the transformation of the area, where nature has reclaimed its rights over the former industrial infrastructure.
  • Location place: Gran Parque de Barakaldo, Urban district, Zalamanda near Bilbao - Spain
  • Artist : Marta Lapeña
  • Date of the LuminoKrom® marking: February 2025
  • Photos credit : Agustín Sagasti

 

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