Grace Hotel
2016
Santorini, Greece
Interior and exterior lighting design for the refurbished high end boutique hotel in an iconic destination.
IES Award of Merit 2017
Architect: Divercity Architects
Interior Design: SMK interiors, Fifth Element Interior Design
Photography: Serge Detalle
Grace, a luxury boutique Hotel in Santorini has gone through a complete renovation in order to incorporate new areas and upgrade the existing ones. Key objective of the lighting design has been the unification of all areas in a holistic design philosophy. Aiming to follow the simplicity and purity of architecture the lighting study for all interior and exterior areas is based on a purely architectural lighting with minimum use of decorative elements.
The illumination of the outdoor communal plateaus derives from a bespoke linear floorwasher that prevents glare, maintains the breathtaking views and defines the boundaries. Dew to the harsh environmental conditions the detail has been designed with minimum use of metallic components. A special fully integrated trimless profile of EPS (expanded polystyrene) has been developed to house a linear IP66 polycarbonate luminaire that washes the floor with a soft diffused indirect light.
All communal areas are located on the subtly lit plateaus with no in-between connection. Each space has a distinctive unique character designed with elegance and luxury. The lighting design concept aims to establish a narrative based on the fundamental attributes of each space providing a thread stitching all spaces together.
The concept of lighting the reception area- a circular domed all-white space with minimum openings to the outdoor - is based on the concept of adaptation. In order to balance the transition from a sunlit outdoor environment to the cave-like interior a special artificial skylight has been developed to allow for a dynamic colour changing palette triggered via a daylight sensor transforming the space in an ever changing white canvas.
The key factor of the Champagne lounge is the contrast. An onyx bar is located in front of a volcanic black rock wall. The balance though contrast is defined by enhancing the diverse character of each material and texture. A special fibre optics installation has been designed to backlight the 3dimensional onyx bar while warm white accent lighting has been applied to reveal the texture of the volcanic wall.
Lighting for the 21 refurbished rooms is designed one-by-one as there is not typical room. Key details developed to all rooms include the custom detail integrated in the wardrobe shelves and mini bar, the linear lighting detail to the wardrobe doors for functional and general indirect lighting and the linear lighting to the mirror for indirect lighting to the ceiling and the double vanity unit.
Designing the lighting for Grace Santorini has been a great challenge. The harsh environmental conditions, the breathtaking world class setting, the luxury of the hotel and the uniqueness of the architectural complex led to a bespoke approach. Each space interior or exterior has been individually designed with sense and sensitivity like illuminating a sculpture. The minimalism of architecture, the scale of things and the absence of typical spaces led to the design of many incorporated details avoiding visual clutter. Simultaneously, the urge to find a common language between the individuality of each space respecting the character of the surrounding led to a design approach where the guest discovers the space gradually.
All outdoor areas have been illuminated in order to keep a consistent night image from different views (far from the sea, from the top approaching the hotel and from the adjacent settlements). The views to the sea and the sky are the best sellers of the hotel. With total respect of the night sky and the nocturnal views, all interior and exterior lighting has been designed to prevent glare. At the same time all functional requirements met easing the access to all private and communal areas. Lighting design techniques have been applied to unite the different areas and reveal the morphology of the architecture.
Dana Research Centre & Library
2016
London, UK
Lighting design for the facade and interiors of the new wing of the Dana Research Centre & Library of the Science Museum in London. A detailed daylight study was also performed to aid the architectural design of the perforated panels and allow for daylight conditions to be integrated in the artificial lighting.
Architect: Coffey Architects
Photography: Tim Soar
In collaboration with studio ZNA, London
Hourglass Corral
2021
Milos, Greece
Lighting design of high-end 2 level summer house with pool and landscape area as well as the site master plan of routes and foot paths connecting the four houses within the site complex.
Architect: DECA architecture
Photographer: Yiorgis Yerolymbos
Custom Hourglass Rings
2021
Milos, Greece
Custom rings for a high-end 2 level summer house in Milos, Greece.
Architect: DECA architecture
Photography: 1-4, 12-14 Yiorgis Yerolymbos, 5-11 ASlight
Phaedra I—
2019
London, UK
Phaedra I—, written and directed by Avra Sidiropoulou and produced by Persona Theatre Company premiered at Tristan Bates Theatre in London, where it played to full houses for nine performances in February 2019.
The project is a solo multimedia portrayal of a modern-day Phaedra, the legendary wife of King Theseus, who falls hopelessly in love with her young stepson, Hippolytus. In this version, she bears all the ambiguities of a restless, contemporary woman, who oscillates between the desires of the flesh and the attraction to the void, as she suffocates in her socially imposed roles within the ruins of a decaying metropolis.
The production’s use of 3-D mapping, video projections and minimalist aesthetics yields a highly poetic visual trip through Phaedra’s stations of personal and public history. The performer embodies all the characters of the ancient myth passed onto us by Euripides, Seneca and Racine. Taking on their speech, Phaedra is also in constant dialogue with her digital selves, becoming Aphrodite, Theseus, Hippolytus, the Chorus and the crisis-ridden City itself. Struggling to escape the existential fatigue that plagues her, she ultimately emerges as a palimpsest of voices, images and memories.
Phaedra: Elena Pellone
Playwright - Director: Avra Sidiropoulou
Set/Costume/Video designer: Mikaela Liakata
Concept dramaturg: Miranda Manasiadis
Dramaturg: Eleni Gkini
Composer: Vanias Apergis
Lighting Designer: Anna Sbokou
Assistant Directors: Julia Kogkou, Maria Hadjistylli
Director of photography: Michael Demetrius
With the kind support of THE J. F. COSTOPOULOS FOUNDATION
Trailer: youtube
Euphoria Retreat Custom Luminaire
2020
Mystras, Greece
The special character of the location, the architecture and the nature of the Retreat led to the design of a family of 12 custom luminaires. This holistic design strategy gave the opportunity to have full control over both the aesthetic that represents the project and the technical requirements of each application, throughout the ‘village’.
The suites expand through 3 buildings, of different layout and architectural features, creating 45 unique suites in total. The custom luminaires were tailor‐made for each of the suites, while maintaining a unifying style. The technical specification of each luminaire was then designed to suit IP rating, beam distribution and output needs of each suite’s interior and exterior areas.
The GAIA restaurant resembles a cloister space, with exposed double‐pitched timber roof and long tables for shared dining. Feature large custom‐made chandeliers hanging from the main timber beams were designed, with a large ring uplighting softly the timber roof and 8 pendant lights illuminate the tables. The pendants are LED modules encased in hallow candles so that both the touch and the smell of real candles contributes to a culinary experience of all six senses.
A destination spa hotel, such as the Euphoria Retreat, is a holistic immersive experience, where the light and the design of it becomes a silent protagonist that can hide and reveal elements, draw visitors to one area or another and play with the human senses, with low levels of illumination, tone contrast and detailing that integrates seamlessly with the architecture. It was good reminder for the design team to slow down, take a moment and understand what is vital to each space and each experience.
Photography: 1-5 Gavriil Papadiotis [GavriiLux] and 6-7 Euphoria Retreat
Dana Research Centre & Library
2015
London, UK
Sunlight and daylight assessment for the new wing of the Dana Research Centre & Library of the Science Museum in London.
A detailed daylight study was performed to aid the architectural design of the perforated panels and the control of daylight and sunlight in the interiors of the space.
Architect: Coffey Architects
In collaboration with studio ZNA
The Space Cadet
2021
Vovousa, Greece
This project included the development of lighting design as part of the set and staging of a dance performance, to create a fully autonomous, pop-up style performance at The Vovousa Festival.
Darc Awards 2021, 4THplace for ‘The Space Cadet’
Concept/Choreography/Original Music/Design: Chloe Aligianni
Performer: Gian Aggelos Apostolidis Isaak (aka Fuerza Negra)
Co-creation of movement material: Chloe Aligianni& Gian Aggelos Apostolidis Isaak (aka Fuerza Negra)
Lighting Design: Anna Sbokou
Set & helmet construction: Yannis Aligiannis (XWorks)
Text compostion: Katerina Kataki
Narration: Thanasimos
Electrician: Nikos Iliopoulos
Technician: Giwrgos Antonopoulos
Sound mixing: Ellen Curtis
Scientific consultants: astrophysicist Dr.ThanassisAkylas (National Observatory of Athens), astronaut trainer Dr. Mindy Howard (Inner Space Training)
Music mentor: Lee Boyd Allatson
Project photos: Eleni Papaioannou, Gavriil Papadiotis, Xenia Tsilochristou
Costume sponsors: Ministry of Concrete, Safe Work LTD
Photography: Xenia Tsilochristou
A Third Planet production
A project in partnership with Flux Laboratory Athens
Funded by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture & Sports
Supported by The Croft Residency
Concept:
“The Space Cadet”, a contemporary dance performance installation by Third Planet, is a poetic journey into space, a cosmic quest of a solitary traveller, the astronaut. Audience and performer are constantly transported to new places, cover large distances and discover new frontiers. The performance is opening up a dialogue between art and science, while stimulating curiosity about the cosmos in relation to the planet we call ‘home’.
The protagonist exists within a tailor-made light installation which sometimes feels like a home, a vehicle, a spaceship from the future, and other times like ‘a prison’, a game or his entire universe. In every performance, dancer Aggelos Apostolidis (aka Fuerza Negra) is activating through movement the in-situ installation, while interacting with the ‘illuminating landscape’ designed by lighting designer Anna Sbokou. Architectural lighting and soundscapes create transitions in space and time where past, present and future merge.
Choreographer Chloe Aligianni, borrows elements from astronaut training and reimagines space travel conditions. She converses with history and choreographs with an electro pop attitude. “The Space Cadet” is a pop up performance, with the set installed in both indoor and outdoor spaces, that has been created with the logic of a performance that travels and lands in unusual locations, every time somewhere different. The lighting design was developed and realised with those restrictions in mind, as self-contained installation. Integration, portability and adaptiveness to accommodate the variation of locations, conditions and movement was a key element of the design.
For the ‘satellite wings’, RGBW LED profiles are edge-lighting the large polycarbonate panels, that were specifically engraved with a grid to imitate satellite solar panels. The underside of the panels’ frame was also illuminated with 4000K LED profiles, giving a subtle halo effect, ‘scanning’ the black floor of the structure. Additional colour-changing LED profiles were installed on the vertical metal structure to illuminate movement onto the cubicle and on/in the metal structure itself, meanwhile enhancing the three-dimensional structure. The interior of the cubicle was illuminated by 2500K LED strip and miniature spots around the cubicle frame were used to highlight and isolate performance areas around and on top of the cubicle.
All luminaires were IP65 and individually controlled with DMX drivers and a programming control desk. Special attention was given to the installation of the wiring that was fed through the cubicle to the central pivoting point of the whole structure, in order to allow its free rotation during the performance and all connections were fitted with IP68 connectors for safe and easy taking down/setting up of the structure at each outdoor venue.
For the optimum effect of the light installation, locations chosen had to have minimum light pollution so the performance can stand alone in the nightscape.
The performance landed in locations like the TheVovousa Festival, a rular setting near the valley of Aoos in the historic village of Zagori, at the National Observatory of Athens and at Flux Laboratory in Athens.
Video tralier: youtube
Floating Gardens
2020
Psychiko, Greece
Lighting design of high-end new-built 4 level new-built residence with pool and perimeter landscape areas.
Architect: DECA architecture
Photography: Yiorgis Yerolymbos
Periscope Hotel Lounge Signage
2017
Athens, Greece
Custom signage designed for the refurbished urban hotel located in the cosmopolitan quarter of Kolonaki, in the centre of Athens.
Architect: DECA architecture
Photography: 1-4 ASlight, 5-7 Álvaro Valdecantos