On its first anniversary, the new lighting of the Acropolis and its monuments still stands out as one of the most remarkable projects in the current international architectural lighting panorama. Conceived by Eleftheria Deko and Associates lighting design studio, this impressive illumination concept has involved our linear bars of the Parade L series for the specific enhancement of the southern fortification wall of the Acropolis.
On the 30th of September 2020, the new lighting of the Acropolis and its monuments, strongly wanted and supported by the Onassis Foundation, was unveiled to the world. After one year and a long series of deserved awards, the lighting designer Eleftheria Deko, looking back at this amazing experience, is still enthusiastic about the challenge, efforts, development, and outcome of this monumental project.
“The Society of Light and Lighting” (SLL) will be joined by Emmy award-winning Lighting Designer, Eleftheria Deko for an upcoming webinar on lighting the Acropolis of Athens, taking place online from 13:00 (GMT) and 23 November 2021.
Undoubtedly one of the most significant architectural landmarks in the world, in 2019 the Greek Ministry of Culture, with support from the Onassis Foundation invited proposals to redesign the lighting scheme for the Acropolis of Athens and its surrounding monuments. Athens-based, Eleftheria Deko and Associates Lighting Design were selected after proposing an entirely new lighting scheme. The Society will be joined by Eleftheria Deko for a comprehensive look at this monumental project, looking at the previous scheme, the concept development, challenges and the final, multi-award-winning scheme. The Acropolis of Athens is a living symbol that has stood the test of time as one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Eleftheria Deko and Associates Lighting Design were tasked with designing new lighting for the Sacred Rock, the fortification walls, and the 17 monuments:
“The whole process of lighting Acropolis and its 17 monuments (among them The Parthenon, Erectheion, Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the ancient theatre of Dionysus), was a multidimensional journey for us. From the first visits onsite, we felt that we had to leave aside our existing knowledge and experience as lighting designers and first focus on ‘listening’ to the monument. It was as if we were listening to our ancestors, re-reading our history, baptised in our Ancient Greek culture. It was the greatest honour and responsibility.We approached the monuments first with respect. Before applying our thoughts on “paper”, before deciding on the technology and the lighting fixtures, we observed the characteristics of this unique place, studied its history, the forms and materials, the visibility from different points of the city and the significance of this landmark. Our design approach was to highlight the beauty of the architecture, the timelessness of sculptures, the whiteness of the Pendelikon marble in contrast to the robustness of the Sacred rock and the heroism of the fortification walls.”
As well as discussing the initial site assessment, Eleftheria Deko will outline the successful bid for the project, including the development of a 3D model to demonstrate the proposed scheme to the stakeholders. She will outline the challenges and necessary restrictions faced concerning conversing and protecting the UNESCO World Heritage site and following an overview of the design approach for this multi-award-winning project, there will be a look back at the spectacular audio-visual launch event.
Find out more about this extraordinary project and the work carried out by Eleftheria and her team via arc magazine. Additionally, the project was awarded ‘Best of the Best’ for 2020 and won the Structures – High Budget and the Event categories in the 2020 the [d]arc awards
This webinar has been organised by the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL). If you have any quesitons or if you would like to find out about becoming a member of the SLL, please contact sll@cibse.org
Eleftheria Deko had the great pleasure to participate in the first Darc Sessions organized by Darc Media and HIX Event in Mykonos, Greece
“After the Covid lockdown periods, it was great to be among so many lighting colleagues again and also to share our “journey” of the Lighting of the Acropolis! I would like to thank Darc Media team, ARC Magazine, darc magazine , for the invitation to participate and as the keynote speaker of the event to share with everyone our experience of this amazing project. A big bravo to the Darc people and everybody involved for all the efforts to bring the lighting community together! “Eleftheria Deko
We are very excited that our project, the Acropolis of Athens and Monuments, has been longlisted for the @Dezeen Awards 2021 in the Architectural Lighting Design category. Read more here
Congratulations to everyone involved, our team, all collaborators, the Onassis Foundation, and, the Greek Ministry of Culture!
Good luck to all longlisted entries! We are looking forward to the results in November!
EVEN IF BEAUTY CANNOT SAVE THE WORLD, IT CAN MAKE IT BETTER.
FROM ROOFTOPS AND BALCONIES ACROSS CENTRAL ATHENS – FROM THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY TO MOUNT LYCABETTUS, AND FROM KOUKAKI TO MONASTIRAKI: WHEREVER YOU MAY BE ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 AT 20:00, LOOK UP AT THE ACROPOLIS TO EXPERIENCE THREE MINUTES FILLED WITH LIGHT.
WATCH THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW ACROPOLIS LIGHTING OVER LIVE STREAM HERE.
The Acropolis: one of our civilization’s most important monuments. A living symbol that has stood the test of time, and one of the most recognizable landmarks in ATHENS. Each of us has taken a different path up onto its rock, but all roads in the city lead there. To a place that can make us forget the surrounding urban landscape, forget even the times we live in. The Acropolis stands out for its harmony, beauty, and human scale. And now, the Acropolis is to be whiter, more beautiful, more brilliantly lit than ever before.
In a time filled with darkness and uncertainty, all we can do is seek out the light. The Hellenic Ministry of CULTURE and Sports presents the new Acropolis illuminations, a project donated and realized by the ONASSIS FOUNDATION. Following an open call, the project studies and designs were undertaken by the internationally acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning lighting designer Eleftheria Deko. This Wednesday, September 30 at 20:00, wherever you may be in the city, point your camera towards the rock of the Acropolis to capture three minutes filled with light and joy. The experience will be streamed live for all to see on the Onassis Foundation YouTube Channel and the Hellenic Ministry of CULTURE and Sports’ digitalculture.gov.gr website, and broadcast live on Greek national television (ERT1). ATHENS by night is changing. A new light shines from the Acropolis.
NEW WHITE LIGHTING
These illuminations breathe new life into the marbles on the Acropolis. But it’s not just about esthetics: the project is also a major upgrade of the existing infrastructure, bringing the electric power system and automated lighting control systems right up to date. It highlights the fortification walls, the Acropolis rock as a whole, and the volumes and geometries of each monument from every possible viewpoint. The marbles – now whiter than ever before – reflect every facet, every geometric shape, and every natural material in order to accentuate each monument’s decorative reliefs.
This new perspective now lights fourteen landmarks: the Acropolis rock, the fortification walls, the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, the Ancient Theater of Dionysos, the Stoa of Eumenes, the Shrine of Dionysos Eleutherios, and another five monuments illuminated for the first time – the Monument of Thrasyllos, the choragic columns, the Asklepieion, the Cave Sanctuaries of Apollo and Aglauros / Klepsydra, and the Shrine of Aphrodite.
2D AND 3D MODELLED DESIGNS, LUMINOSITY READINGS, CALCULATIONS, TEST AFTER TEST – ALL TO ACHIEVE ILLUMINATIONS THAT WOULD MAKE THE PARTHENON AND EVERY OTHER MONUMENT ON THE ACROPOLIS GLEAM BRIGHT, AS THEY RIGHTLY DESERVE, IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY. SHINING THE LIGHT OF OUR COUNTRY’S CULTURE ALL AROUND, THE WORLD OVER.
ELEFTHERIA DEKO, LIGHTING DESIGNER
A MORE ECO-FRIENDLY ACROPOLIS
All electrical switchboards have been changed, and the existing HID lights replaced with 609 cutting-edge, high color fidelity LED lighting fixtures (that’s 40% fewer than before) as part of the technical upgrade, with a view to the new installation running without issue for over twenty years. The new lighting fixtures have minimal maintenance costs, and the newly installed system delivers energy savings of more than 65%. Light pollution has also been reduced through improved target alignment with the monuments.
