By Elftheria Deko & Associates Lighting Design
Photos by Gavriil Papadiotis
The new lighting of the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion breathes life into the monument, honoring its timeless presence and respecting its historical significance.
The Temple of Poseidon is located on the cliffs of Cape Sounion and it is mainly visible from the northwest direction as one approaches from the coastal road and from the surrounding sea. This characteristic determined our lighting design as it was crucial the light intensity to be at a relatively “higher” level in order to be seen from such a distance.
Warmer tones of white light (2700K) are chosen to embrace the fortification wall, while cooler white light (3600K) illuminates the columns of the temple. The base of the temple is lit by neutral temperature (3000K). In this way, the Fortification Wall, the sanctuary and the base are distinguished even from a distance. As the sun sets, the temple is illuminated with an astronomical clock and at sunrise it turns off.
The lighting fixtures were chosen for their size and shape to be well integrated into the landscape so that day visitors are not distracted.
