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Public Spaces
L&L Luce&Light
Japanese Garden
Japanese Garden
Location
Athens, Greece
Application
Landscape
Light planning
NeaPolis Lighting
Landscape design
Ecoscapes Landscape
Architecture
Photography
Anastasia Siomou
A Japanese-style Zen garden has been created in the Pangrati
district, in the centre of Athens, to enrich the green space that sits
within the capital’s bustling urban fabric, surrounded by imposing
buildings, museums and factories. The garden is filled with lush
vegetation paired with elements that represent water, in the classic
Japanese tradition. It was designed by landscape architecture firm
Ecoscapes and was inspired by the ancient Japanese green parks
that date back thousands of years.
Plants native to Japan and the Mediterranean grow here together:
Japanese maples, cherry trees and bamboo share the land with
myrtle and daphne shrubs. The mix of different tree varieties adds
colour and texture along the park’s main path. Gravel and rock paths
lead to the best views of the garden and move in sweeping curves to
represent flowing dry “rivers”. A pine tree welcomes visitors at the
main entrance, while granite benches mark out a space for meeting
and socializing.
The concept by lighting design company Nea Polis was based
on a desire for visitors to experience peace and tranquillity in a
redeveloped corner of the city – a small green oasis between the
buildings, where they can relax for a moment. To ensure that these
requirements were met, the company chose Bright 2.4 outdoor
recessed fixtures with honeycomb louvres, installed at the base of
the plants to illuminate them bottom to top. In a customized version
with amber-coloured LEDs, so with a warm light output, they ensure
the circadian cycles of both people and animals are better respected.
Post-mounted Ginko 3.0 projectors, 3000K with asymmetrical
snoots, light from above the areas with benches for socializing. Their
48° sharp optics with shadow-effect filters realistically recreate the
effect of sunlight shining through the foliage of the trees.
Ginko 3.0
power: 15W
optics: 48° sharp
colour temp.: 3000K
shadow-effect filter
finish: anthracite
