Historical Buildings & Cultural Venues
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019
L&L Luce&Light
The Hellenic Parliament in Athens
The Hellenic Parliament, housed in the Old Royal Palace in Athens’
Syntagma Square, is one of the most iconic symbols of modern
Greece. The Royal Palace was built in 1843 to a design by Bavarian
architect Friedrich von Gärtner, and its imposing neoclassical
architecture dominates the square together with the Monument of
the Unknown Soldier.
In an innovative project by DANILOF light + perception studio,
the lighting for both the Parliament House and the Monument of
the Unknown Soldier. has recently been revised to complement
the architectural heritage and create a dynamic atmosphere that
respects the historical and environmental context.
The project, which won the Heritage Lighting Design Award at the
LIT Lighting Design Awards, embraces an innovative approach that
combines aesthetics, functionality and respect for the environment
to create a harmonious dialogue between light and architecture.
The main fixtures used include Lyss 2.0 Tunable White projectors
(from 2700K to 4000K), strategically positioned on the windows to
enhance the building’s original marble cornices. These fixtures have
customized RAL finishes and are installed on bespoke bases to avoid
damaging the antique marble and allow the products’ orientation to
be easily adjusted according to the windows’ irregular planes. The
base enables the fixtures to be moved left or right and up or down to
ensure uniform illumination for each window.
Akro projectors light the wall in the centre, with the Monument to the
Unknown Soldier, while Neva linear profiles light the masonry at the
end. With a colour temperature of 3500K, this lighting accentuates
the texture of the limestone walls, creating a three-dimensional
effect that gives depth and harmony with the Monument of the
Unknown Soldier.
All the lighting fixtures offer unique colour flexibility, enabling the
colour temperature to be changed to create fluid transitions and a
variety of scenic effects. From sundown, the light evolves gently
through programmed lighting scenes with different intensities
and temperatures, moving from cool white to warm white. After
midnight, the intelligent dimming system reduces lighting levels to
preserve the night sky and respect the environment.
In addition, the fixtures are designed with precision optics and fitted
with anti-reflection components to minimize upward light spill and
ensure precise, responsible lighting. Visual harmony by day has
been carefully considered, too: the fixtures’ customized finishes
make them almost invisible against the surfaces they are mounted
on, preserving the building’s aesthetic coherence.
This project is a shining example of how light can translate into a
language that enhances architecture and respects the landscape,
telling the story of a place and enriching its identity.
Location
Syntagma Square, Athens, Greece
Application
Facades
Light planning
DANILOF studio light + perception
Photography
Gavriil Papadiotis
The Hellenic
Parliament in Athens
Lyss 2.0
power: 19W
optics: 12°x160°
colour temp.: Tunable
White 27000K-4000K
finish: RAL9002
Akro 1.2
power: 43W
optics: optical range
16°-42°, dimmable
colour temp.: 3500K
