Euphoria Retreat
2020
Mystras, Greece
Lighting design of new-built hotel & spa retreat, including all specialised areas. Lighting integrated within the architecture for a seamless result.
Best Hotel & Restaurant Project, LIT Lighting Design Awards 2019
IES Illumination Award of Excellence 2020
Lighting Awards 2020 PLATINUM (Projects)
Lighting Awards 2020 GOLD (Interior Leisure)
A’ Design Awards 2021 GOLD (Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design)
Architect: DECA Architecture
Photography: Margarita Nikitaki, Giorgos Sfakianakis and Stavros Habakis for Euphoria Retreat
Site Specific Showroom
2017
Athens, Greece
Interior lighting design for a working area-lighting show room.
IES Award of Merit 2018
Shortlisted DARC awards 2017
Architect: A31 ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION
Visual Artist: Socrates Fatouros
Photography: Alvaro Valdecantos
Site---Specific space is located in Metamorphosis, a district northwest of Athens. Τhis space is the home of Greek lighting distributor Sight Specific. It was created as a design space rather than a traditional lighting showroom. The entrance, the lobby-reception, the dark room, and a patio with a green wall of 5 meters height, as well as the public bathrooms, compose altogether the ground level. The upper level includes a meeting room, the distributor’s office and a small living room where artwork of the visual artist Socrates Fatouros dominates beside the wall of vertical planting.
The design team of architects, lighting designer, landscape architect, the artist and the graphic designers, collaborated closely from the beginning in order to create a communal inspirational space for people to meet up and swap ideas. A design space by designer for designers.
Light and materials are inseparably connected, drawing out spatial contrasts and highlights that allow the presence of architectural lighting applications rather than the mere display of luminaires. The limited use of decorative fixtures, carefully selected by the lighting designer and the team, fulfills the various functions of the show room.
Its synthetic architectural principles are based on the purity and the sincerity of its construction (the structural and architectural elements are totally visible). The electrical pipes in the ceiling also follow the clean architectural lines and reinforce this industrial-looking design by providing the interior with light at the same time. Its raw vertical surfaces consist of particular concrete slabs of New Ultra High-Performance Concrete technology, only 2cm thick, while the horizontal surfaces are formed by several parts of industrial mosaic flooring, oxidized metal and concrete volumes.
Light is apparently considered at each step of the design process. When entering the building, the visitor follows the three lighting circles spotted on the ground floor that gradually reveal an inner sitting area. This specific lighting synthesis breaks the sharp straight structural lines, while the lighting treatment of the wall surfaces and niches serves the opposite purpose. The illuminated recessed balustrade, as well as the glowing niches of the entrance and the bar compliment to the graphic design concept as well.
In addition, the floating feature staircase, is lit by a number of frame projectors to define each step separately, to enhance the feeling of levitation. The natural green wall in the interior of the space is carefully illuminated by custom LED lighting systems focusing on plant growth without discoloring or saturating the organic elements, as there is no useful daylight present.
Another lighting key element was the need for color in the background corridor, along with linear lighting application washing the same wall material in different color temperatures, gradually leading to the saturated blue at the end. This gradient of white light renders the surface with varying degrees of definition, generating visual interest to the visitor to discover the interior. Apart from this visual destination, the focal point at the end of the corridor is a distinctive light art piece. A blue neon sculptural object glows into the background, attracting the eye. This lighting fixture was manufactured by the artist based on the lighting concept brief.
Light is both an instrumental mean and a performative end and, as such, the most strategic use of materials in this creative lighting space.
Memorial to the Victims of Violence
2013
Mexico City, Mexico
Lighting design of urban landmark in the heart of Mexico City.The lighting of the project was honoured with 4 lighting design awards, including the Award of Excellence by the International Association of Lighting Designers in 2014.
Architect: Gaeta Springall Arquitectos
Photography: Gaeta Springall Arquitectos
In collaboration with lighteam, Mexico
The Memorial to the Victims of Violence is a space that was created to reconcile political and social turmoil that rises from the ongoing context of violence in Mexico. It iscomposed of a series of steel plates, some weathered and some reflecting, placed on a water mirror. Light helps articulate these architectural elements as an allegory ofthat which is now absent in materiality but forever present in both our individual and collective memory.
Recessed linear LEDs were placed to suggest a promenade, guiding visitors, serving as a safety measure and spatial orientation. Working with the architectural concept, the promenade is also marked with light in crescendo, from less light to a cathartic point of luminosity, and lastly in diminuendo.
Light takes abstract values of silence to bring a pacifying effect of solace to the site. Shedding light as means of invocation‐evocation renders an ambiance for contemplation and remembrance. Under this light, the materials engage in a dialogue with the visitor: The rust on the weathered plates speak about the passage of time and the scars that we bear from our past; the lit elements reflected on the water compel us to contemplate and reflect on our present; The interaction between light and the reflecting plates create an ethereal effect, representing a future that has a silver lining.
Positive values of light in contrast to the shadows cast during daytime and their negative representation during night-time echo a relationship between presence andabsence. The metal plates are outlined with the light projectors creating subtle silhouettes. This ambiguity between solid plates, voids, and the water reflection isused as a mechanism to bring materiality to absence. The loss of lives, casualties of this ongoing conflict, is remembered by casting light to emphasize this absence.
A glint emerges from each metal plate to reveal phrases written out with perforated lettering, complementing the site’s solemn tone as graphic and poetic expressions oflight.A colder shade of white is used to light the tree tops guiding the visitors eyes towards the sky. This light also encompasses the luminous space that emerges from the surrounding darkness as a lantern of hope.
The project was shortlisted for the Lighting Design Awards 2014 (UK), won a Special Citation for Cultural Importance at the GE Edison Awards 2014 (USA) and was honoured the Award of Excellence 2014 by the International Association of Lighting Designers (USA), amongst 9 lighting awards in total.
The Cinemas at Selfridges
2021
London, UK
Lighting design of vintage cinemas, 3 screen rooms, bar and members’ lounge inside Selfridges on Oxford Street.
LIT Award 2021, Honourable Mention
Architect: FD Architecture
Designer: DIMORESTUDIO
Photography: James Newton
The Cinema at Selfridges, is the first permanent department store cinema in the world. It houses three screens: a 70-seat main screen, a second 59-seater, and a third 28-seater for private screenings, all filled with curved rows of lush reclining seats and fitted with state-of-the-art AV technology.
The interior is designed by Dimore Studio with the cinema experience in mind and a retro flair in the detailing of the furniture. The audience entering The Cinema are transported to a flamboyant and sophisticated set reminiscent of a David Lynch film. The colour palette of the interior is enhanced and complimented by the dynamic lighting strategy: Accent lighting on saturated coloured surfaces, colourful light wash with RGBW dynamic changes and light play between reflective & matt surfaces.
The Cinema can be accessed from the street entrance, as well as the Selfridge’s Tech Hall at level -1. The Tech Hall entrance of the cinema had to be a bold and graphic statement to lure the audience and signpost the way in, counteracting the very futuristic and vivid lit environment of the Tech Hall itself. The lighting of the canopy, designed to resemble the old, iconic theatre entrances, consists of 400 LED low-brightness light bulbs on a reflective surface. The design was developed by ASlight and realised by Top Notch Joinery for the exact bulb specifications and arrangement to create a homogeneous and warm lighting effect.
Entering the Lobby, the visitor is immersed into an atmosphere with intense colours of a 60s interior. The lighting enhances the bold textures and colours and creates micro-atmospheres within the space. Focusing where needed, one can see different spaces within the lobby: the banquettes for two, the luminous bar as a background, the snag area, which looks like a cosy living room with 12 large reclaimed chandeliers.
Each screen room has its own colour identity and some common lighting features such as the accent lighting onto the seats and the screen velvet curtain. Under seat low level lighting in all rooms provides a soft functional lighting when needed.The lighting concept of the Blue room transforms the space into a lunar landscape with crate like coves on the ceilingproviding a soft and cool indirect illumination. The coves, covering ceiling and walls, were specifically designed to also housethe accent lighting, speakers and other elements.
The ambient lighting of the Red and the Green room is mainly consisted of wall mounted decorative luminaires creating a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. The accent lighting on the chairs enhances the sculptural quality of the space. The bathroom interiors are monochromatic spaces with crisp white light that creates a sci-fi ambience. The feature, ceiling mounted light tubes in the coffers, designed by ASlight and realised by Top Notch Joinery, provide a diffused, uniform lighting, keeping the retro feeling with elegant brass details.
ASlight, in collaboration with David Turner Workshop also upgraded the existing wall mounted fluorescent luminaires, with LED and refurbished the finish to keep a consistent interior style in The Cinema.
KALLOS. The Ultimate Beauty
2021
Athens, Greece
Lighting design for a temporary exhibition on the ancient Greek ideal of beauty (Kallos), presented at the Museum of Cycladic Art in collaboration with L’Oreal Paris. The exhibition featured 300 antiquities—including marble statues, ceramics, jewelry, and accessories—dating from the 7th to 1st century BC. Divided into ten thematic units, it explored Beautification and the multifaceted concept of Beauty: Human, Divine, Heroic, and Demonic.
Designer: AKA architects
Curators: Prof. N. C. Stampolidis and Dr. I. D. Fappas
Museographical Design: Despoina Tsafou
Visual Identity: BEND
Photography: Paris Tavitian © Museum of Cycladic Art
Sponsored by L'Oreal Group
Top Ships Office Lobby
2018
Athens, Greece
Lighting design for the main reception and lobby atrium of commercial building, housing the offices of Top Ships in Athens.
Lighting Award 2020 GOLD (Interior Office)
Architect: doxiadis+
Photography: Gavriil Papadiotis [GavriiLux]
Muse House
2023
Meganisi, Greece
Lighting design for a site master plan of routes and foot paths connecting the six houses within the site complex, as well as the interior lighting of all spaces.
IES Award of Merit 2023
Interiors Awards 2023, GOLD (Residential)
Architect: hiboux ARCHITECTURE
Photography: Gavriil Papadiotis[GavriiLux]
A new-built vacation complex of scattered houses, integrated in a 200-year-old olive grove was the canvas for the lighting design for a tailor-made experience of the island living. Stone domed structures, double slopped bamboo pergolas, meandering paths, natural rock formations and a large number of nicely aged olive trees were key elements of this isolated site by the sea. The challenges were many, very low budget for the lighting equipment, existing natural context, remote location, saline environment in conjunction with the complexity of the architecture and the intricacy of the pathways and connections between houses and the design of the illumination had to address them all. The lighting design strategy had to be minimum input/impact for maximum effect.
Numerous site visit allowed us to carefully place luminaires in key locations, giving a depth of field and a sense of comfort, while avoiding overilluminating the surroundings of the houses. All exterior luminaires, including the spots on trees with tree straps, the spike mounted path lights, the adjustable spots with custom double joint bracket on the bamboo pergolas and the few exterior sconces by the entrance doors, where downlighting and fitted with glare-control accessories to limit light pollution into the dark sky. Only the pergolas were dimly highlighted with column mounted uplights at high level, to provide some bounce-back ambient illumination to the outdoor resting areas.
12 key olive trees were identified, in the proximity of the houses or in the distant view from the houses, where cool white spotlights were installed on high branches to illuminate through the foliage, generating a dappled leaf effect on the surrounding plants and rock formations. The tone contrast between the warm path & pergola lighting added interest and depth to the surroundings and long views. The energy consumption for the exterior lighting was 0.08W/m2.
NIKO Seaside Resort / MGallery Collection
2022
Crete, Greece
Lighting design of fully refurbished hotel resort, including exterior, suites and all specialized FOH areas.
Interiors Awards 2023, BRONZE (ΗοReCa)
Architect: 3XN Architects
Construction: Diarchon SA
Interior Design (F&B): INEDITO Architects
Interior Design (FOH & rooms): MKV Design
MEP: TEKEM SA
Photography: NIKO Seaside Resort - MGallery Collection
Hotel Coral, situated on the picturesque Mirabello Bay in Crete, traces its origins back to the mid-20th century when it stood as a derelict structure along the bustling beachfront. Its transformation from a 3-star hotel to the 5-star NIKO Seaside Resort required architectural ingenuity as well as a complete redesign of architectural lighting.
Respecting the hotel's existing structural framework, architects embarked on a journey to redefine its interior spaces and elevate its exterior façade to contemporary urban standards. Correspondingly, the lighting highlighted the new architectural framework, while the use of LED luminaires contributed to the energy efficiency of the entire project.
The new façade, at the ground floor level, arches organically and creates "ridges", while the rest of the levels’ curved balconies create a repetitive pattern that aesthetically unifies the entire exterior. The ground floor level lighting highlights the building’s organic geometry, while creating luminous gateways, inviting passers-by in. The balconies are illuminated from one side, meeting the functional needs of visitors and reinforcing the curvature of the building, when viewed in perspective. For the patio internal façade, lighting was used to enhance openness, with vertical surfaces illuminated and reflections minimized, where Illuminated glass pools in the atrium provide a unique visual experience.
The hotel also includes a large pool terrace and restaurant with a sea view, as well as a large infinity pool. The lighting highlights the materiality of the spaces, while respecting the view. With regard to the pools, a linear single lighting system was chosen, so that the body of water is uniformly illuminated but the luminaire itself is not visible to the visitors, maintaining an unobstructed view of the sea. In the ninth-floor roof-top bar, lighting levels were kept low and focused on the bare essential functions, so as not to compete with the starry sky.
Hellinikon Sales Center
2021
Athens, Greece
Lighting design of the Sales Centre & Offices for the Hellinikon development, to include all interior spaces, outdoor event space, perimeter path and all landscape areas. The design met LEED Gold standards.
Architect: A31 Architecture Construction
Visualization: Design Bot
LEED Consultant: DCarbon
Wasted: If the Walls Could Speak Installation
2023
Athens, Greece
Welcome to If the Walls Could Speak. We have crafted an experience that allows the visitor to feel, see and touch the materials that make up our lived environment. It also brings attention to the myriad historical artifacts that persist in our midst, like not-so-hidden time travelers.
If the Walls Could Speak expands on tAS 4 2022 Waste Not Want Not’s focus of reducing waste, upcycling, and lowering carbon emissions in manufacturing and construction. If the Walls Could Speak highlights the skill and craftmanship of Greek manufactures and their global importance. We will also explore best practices for historic preservation in new construction and ways to reduce harmful environmental outcomes.
Perhaps most importantly, twenty first century Greece is being imagined, planned, and built now. Athens is not just a city with history, Athens is history. The city’s achievements are known all over the world. Unlike other ancient cities, Athens continues to be a vibrant cosmopolis even after millennia.
As Athens builds its’ future, If the Walls Could Speak wants to emphasize the value of the cultural, physical and creative past. As part of this emerging process, we encourage designers, builders and planners to imagine the yet-to-be-built environment incorporating existing material and structures that are already part of our physical historical terrain.
The materials we propose using have their own histories. The reuse and repurposing of already existing infrastructure is different from reusing production waste. Using existing structures saves on carbon expenditure because each artifact’s lifespan has far exceeded the original extraction cost.
The ineffable quality of reinhabited buildings comes from the many lives lived in these structures: uncountable feet trod the floors, innumerable hands touched the surfaces and a many voiced chorus echoes through the spaces. Modern civilization began in ancient Athens through a cultural dynamism of social, political and artistic innovation; it was the model for the complex, advanced, influential global city.
We must accept the challenge to improve our collective future with forward looking sustainable ideas, designs, materials, structures and systems. We believe a clearer understanding of contemporary needs and solutions comes from cognizance of our place on the human historical continuum.
'If the Walls Could Speak,' the second installment of the 'Wasted' series of installations, was showcased in The Architect Show 2023.
Curation: John Veikos, Anna Sbokou
Design & Coordination: John Veikos, Anna Sbokou, Ioanna Kotoula, Eirini Chatzi
Lighting Design: ASlight Studio
Content Editor: J. Ward Regan PhD
Graphic Design: MANGO ART
Signage: MARMOURIS, MANGO ART
Installation: Karamalegos Bros. Giannis & Vasilis Vlachakis
Photography: Gavriil Papadiotis [GavriiLux]
Waste Material Providers and Fabricators: AggloTech, AL2, Apollon Design, Decospan, Electron, Eltop, Eva Papadopoulou, Flux Laboratory Athens, Inoxal by ETEM, Konstantinidis S.A., Kraft Paints, Machos Glass, Marmouris S.A., Marmyk Iliopoulos, Novamix, Rangahaus, SANELCO, Stonetech, The Fabulous Group, Twelve Concept, Unilin, VETA
Website: thearchitectshow.gr