Lighting makes things visible. When this principle is applied to architecture, buildings emerge in another guise, with sculpted volumes, assertive forms, amplified emotional impact, for a new, harmonious relationship with the host landscape. Architecture comes alive, revealing a new identity. This is true of interior design, but also of monuments, façades, parks.
Linea Light Group, Aeroporto Internazionale di Atene
One good example is the sculpture made of light created by Linea Light Group and Eleftheria Deko and Associates, to brighten the façade of the International Airport of Athens. The visionary raiment of light proposed by the Treviso-based company and the award-winning Greek lighting design studio aims at giving the structure a new image, during the renovation of the airport conducted by the firms Alexandros N. Tombazis & Associates and AVW Architecture. To add emphasis to the main façade, Linea Light Group has specially redesigned a custom version of the Paseo linear section, creating an “extralarge” model that can be built directly into the sunscreens of the structure. The result is a visual spectacle that alternates elegant white lines and colorful sets, with static or dynamic effects of shading, brightening and dimming.
L&L Luce&Light, Ex Chiesa San Giovannello, Marsala
A project by L&L Luce&Light has restored the outdoor charm of the former Church of San Giovannello in Marsala, in Sicily, dating back to the 16th century and repeatedly restored over the years, now with a regeneration by the architects Giovanni and Domenico Nuzzo. The fixtures of L&L Luce&Light underline virtues and weaknesses – the signs of war and weather – in the historic building: in the apse, a long vertical opening becomes dramatic thanks to the light from the Bright 1.0 built-in fixture, highlighting the internal thickness; the linear, minimal sections of Neva apply an elliptical optical solution to light the external masonry, revealing the remains of the heterogeneous stucco finish, while the same sections with a narrow 11° optical grouping enhance the partially reconstructed pilasters, accenting frames and arches. The choice of the Kleo outdoor spotlights in Cor-ten mounted on posts reinforces the idea of a new urban image for the entire work of architecture.
Francesconi Architectural Light, Accademia Diplomatica, Abu Dhabi
The same principle is behind the outdoor lighting project of the Diplomatic Academy of Abu Dhabi by Francesconi Architectural Light. Around the perimeter of the roof, a custom version of the LINE spotlight, 1200mm IP66, with monochrome LEDs, has been installed with a particular attachment system on the overhanging metal structure, with a flap for precise adjustment of the light beam; given the impressive height of the façades, LED boards of the latest generation, for high energy efficiency, have been created for the occasion, reaching output levels of 10,000 lumens. Finally, for the entrance, a custom version of LINE has been developed for insertion in the floor.
