SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance

the 20-meter black triangular intervention is equipped with concealed viewing apertures and apex-mounted CCTV cameras that return fragmented live feeds of the surrounding plaza.

SpY edited by christina vergopoulou November 5, 2026 3 min

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SPY INSTALLS 20-METER MONOLITHIC BLACK TRIANGLE in Madrid

Installed in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles directly fronting the Palacio de Cibeles, PANOPTICON by urban artist SpY is a large-scale temporary architectural installation configured as an equilateral black triangle measuring 20 meters on each side. The dark, monolithic geometry introduces an abrupt formal contrast against the ornate historic facade of the Palacio, directly intercepting established sightlines across the civic square.

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 1 — all images ©Ruben PBescos

PANOPTICON REFRAMES URBAN SURVEILLANCE and PUBLIC PRIVACY

The installation by Spanish urban artist SpY operates through an interplay of physical obstruction and mediated vision. While the opaque triangular volume physically blocks panoramic views of the urban context, discreet viewing apertures integrated along its perimeter invite visitors to peer inside. Each aperture is fitted with a display monitor wired to closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras mounted at the apex of the structure. Through these video feeds, fragmented live footage of surrounding traffic, pedestrians, and adjacent architecture is projected back to the viewer from elevated overhead vantage points. By positioning the observer to look through surveillance feeds of the surrounding public space, the installation engages Jeremy Bentham’s architectural panopticon model, examining how digital tracking systems, public observation, and camera mediation govern movement and privacy in contemporary cities.

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 2 — PANOPTICON is a large-scale public art installation designed by SpY in Madrid, Spain

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 3 — the installation occupies the center of Plaza de Cibeles, facing the historic Palacio de Cibeles

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 4 — the temporary structure takes the form of an equilateral triangle measuring 20 meters per side

black-triangle-installation-spy-madrid-plaza-designboom-1800-2 — the matte black exterior finish creates a sharp geometric contrast with the surrounding classical stone architecture

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 5 — the human scale alters pedestrian movement and circulatory flow through the public space

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 6 — the triangular footprint creates sharp angled corner profiles visible against the Madrid streetscape

black-triangle-installation-spy-madrid-plaza-designboom-1800-3 — subtle, discreetly placed viewing apertures puncture the lower envelope of the triangular volume

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 7 — visitors look through the apertures to engage with digital display monitors housed within the framework

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 8 — closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are mounted along the upper rim and apex of the structure

black-triangle-installation-spy-madrid-plaza-designboom-1800-4 — the system transmits live, high-angle surveillance feeds directly to the internal monitors

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 9 — fragmented video streams display real-time footage of pedestrians, street traffic, and architectural details

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 10 — the installation references Jeremy Bentham’s eighteenth-century panopticon architectural model

SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance - 11 — by looking through the screens, visitors participate directly in viewing apparatuses that surveil them

project info:

name: PANOPTICON

artist: SpY | @spy__studio

location: Madrid, Spain

photographer: Ruben PBescos | @rubenpb

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