A giant star 20-point star lights up Plaça Sant Jaume for Christmas
Thanks to a joint initiative by the City Council and the Government of Catalonia, the star projects its light onto the façades of both buildings, which also share the same decorations on their balconies, and offers an immersive audiovisual experience. At the other end of the square there’s a 15-metre Christmas tree. In addition, the Pati de Carruatges in the City Hall is hosting the traditional large nativity scene by the Association of Nativity Scene Builders which until now was housed in the Museu Marès. This year’s scene takes a maritime theme as its inspiration, occupying a table of 8 metres by 4 metres and a height of 70 cm. Both the star in the square, with the name “Origin”, and the nativity scene, can be visited from 29 November to 5 January.
With each of its points measuring 4 metres, the star has been in Plaça Sant Jaume for a few days now and will be shining from today, 29 November, to 5 January. This imposing piece, made from iron, acrylic and LEDs, will light up the façades of the City Council and the headquarters of the Government of Catalonia on either side of the square, in a collaboration between the two institutions that aims to give harmony and balance to the Christmas decorations and will also include the same vegetal decorations on both balconies.
Created by the artist Xevi Bayona and the digital creator Àlex Posada, the star has been given the name Origin. The regular geometrical figure looks back to the moment the universe was created, when the big bang transformed the darkness into light and energy, symbolising harmony. The star has a diameter of nine metres and a width of 10.6 metres, weighing in at 2.5 tonnes.
When night falls, an immersive audiovisual show will begin around it, with an original soundtrack that spectators can enjoy by opening a web app or using a QR code. This will allow people to use their mobiles to connect to the sound in the square through an interactive map, offering the possibility of listening to the show live using mobiles and headphones, essential for an experience of the highest quality and ensuring local residents’ hours of rest.
Shows will be offered every day from 6.30 pm to 10 pm, with sessions every quarter of an hour and lasting five minutes.
On the other side of the square there’s a 15-metre Christmas tree, paying homage to the magic of the stars and created in line with the star.
The star, offered to the city by Mercabarna, has been decorated this year by Xavier Lloveras, a florist and interior designer from Flors Prats, a local business which has been operating since 1891.
Nativity scene with the scent of the sea
Created by the Barcelona Association of Nativity Scene Builders and now open to the public, this year’s traditional nativity scene moves from the Museu Marès to the Pati de Carruatges at the City Hall. The scene brings the scent of the sea to the centre of the city, linking two great sources of inspiration: the centenary since the death of the poet Joan Salvat-Papasseit, who worked at the Moll de la Fusta wharf, evoking the maritime scene in some of his verses, and the America’s Cup, which concluded a few weeks ago. The nativity scene will be open to the public until 5 January (closed on 25 December and 1 January), Mondays to Fridays from 11 am to 7 pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 8 pm.
The scene is installed on a table of around 8 metres by 4 metres, at a height of 70 cm, and includes iconic scenes such as the birth, the annunciation, the path of the Three Kings and a scene with Saint Francis, without overlooking traditional and world-famous figures such as the caganer pooping shepherd.
