Estela de Luz

Standing near the entrance to Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, this tall modern monument was built to mark the bicentennial of Mexican independence, though it opened in 2012 after delays and controversy over its cost. A slender tower rising more than one hundred meters is clad in translucent quartz panels lit from within, so that it glows at night as a pillar of light. Its abstract form contrasts with the classical monuments along Reforma. A small cultural center at its base hosts exhibitions, and its plaza serves as public space.