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01 Brief

Underlight

The company Luxtravoid Robotics turns a quiet corner of Poblenou into a working excavation site.

A robot descends into the city’s buried pipes, crawling through the underground systems that feed the flickering light above.

The side we see every day.

DateFebruary 2026
TypeUniversity project, MDEF at IAAC
CollaboratorsMDEF students, Master in Design for Emergent Futures
TutorsSaul Baeza, Guillem Camprodon and Mario Santamaria
PlacePoblenou, Plaça Castella 4, Barcelona
RoleFabrication of the installations and on-site coordination
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02 The work

Nodding to the historic Iris power station, Luxtravoid Robotics explores the old station’s underground system, questioning where the light comes from.

A robot descends into the city’s buried pipes, crawling through the underground systems that feed the flickering light above.

Except it isn’t.

Hidden inside a tent sits a secret underground model fitted with light sensors, and the robot is exploring that. Instead, the public watches what reads as authentic, real-time underground surveillance.

The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The excavation site at night, barriers, smoke and the light bar
The crowd around the dig, and the screens showing the descent
The crowd around the dig, and the screens showing the descent
The crowd around the dig, and the screens showing the descent

03 Process

My role in this installation was in the fabrication process: getting from the Rhino model to the finished site.

The model closed, lid on
The model open, showing the maze of pipes and the robot inside
Exploded view of the model, layer by layer
Front elevation of the model
Top view of the model, the layout of the walls