Culebrita Lighthouse

In collaboration with Vaccarino Associates Landscape Architects

The rehabilitation of the Culebrita Lighthouse, the last one built by Spain in the New World, preserves its historic architecture while introducing sustainable innovations to enhance the surrounding landscape. A landmark in Puerto Rico’s maritime heritage, the lighthouse was approved by Royal Decree on July 15, 1877, as part of Spain’s Alumbrado Marítimo (Marine Lighting Plan). Built 76 meters above sea level, its distinctive E-shaped design ensured efficiency and functionality, housing two keepers’ apartments, offices, latrines, a fuel deposit, and a large cistern.

For nearly a century, the lighthouse guided sailors through the Culebrita passage, a crucial route between South America and Europe. Its construction faced significant challenges due to the island’s isolation, lack of resources, and harsh conditions, leading to the use of prisoner labor. Despite these obstacles, the lighthouse was completed in five years and inaugurated on February 25, 1886.

During much of the 20th century, the U.S. Navy used the island for target practice and built a circular concrete heliport pad over fill next to the lighthouse. Once a remnant of military occupation, this concrete pad is now being repurposed as part of the rehabilitation efforts and will be transformed into a utility building.The intervention balances conservation and evolution, maintaining the lighthouse’s historic masonry while incorporating a wooden structure and lightweight polycarbonate roof panels. New architectural features, including windows and shutters, are distinctly expressed, and durable bronze hardware ensures resilience against the island’s harsh environment.
Sustainability is at the core of the design, with a focus on water collection. Rainwater from all roofs and pavements will be stored in underground cisterns, and the partially sunken utility building will house restrooms, cisterns, a small kitchen, and other essential facilities. Stepped ramps along the north-south axis will descend to the lower level, where rainstorms highlight the significance of water collection. The harvested rainwater will be recycled as gray water for irrigation. Thirty-two photovoltaic panels, located over the polycarbonate roof, will collect the solar energy required to power the facility.

Visitors will approach the lighthouse along a carefully designed path that follows the edge of the utility building’s circular terrace, which echoes the former helipad. This route provides scenic views of Culebra, the main island of Puerto Rico, Vieques, and the U.S. Virgin Islands before revealing the historic structure. Additionally, the site’s historic cisterns will be restored and incorporated into the visitor experience, offering insights into both the site’s history and its sustainable future.