Rebirth is a light art installation by Danilof studio inspired by abstract painting, Op-Art, and the light and space movement of the previous century. It comprises thirty (30) three-dimensional light ‘paintings’. Each ‘painting’ seamlessly transitions into the next in a thoughtfully arranged succession, reinterpreting the new Piraeus Tower facade. Alternate colour borders, juxtapositions, and varying light intensities invite viewers into subtle perceptual investigations of shape, volume, form and colour.
The regenerated tower, once a partially completed high-rise structure, now stands as a prominent landmark in the Piraeus port. Piraeus, one of the largest passenger ports in Europe, connects Athens to the Aegean islands and plays a crucial role as a container port in the Mediterranean. The temporary installation marks the completion of the new facade and reflects the colourful, bustling life of the Piraeus port.
White and coloured lighting working with darkness, not against it!
The temporary light art installation lasted for three weeks and it was based on the permanent lighting scheme of the tower, which was designed by the same lighting design studio. The permant scheme features a subtle low-luminance white lighting concept interwoven with darkness. Each one of the 1560 facade fins houses a bespoke-designed 3m linear luminaire programmed at very low intensity values. The permanent white lighting scheme achieves an impressive total operating facade lighting power of less than 4.5kW and occasionally even less than 2kW – remarkable for a building of this scale! Similarly, the subtle colour schemes of the temporary installation demonstrate significantly low energy consumption. An advantage of the site was the absence of any other high-rise buildings. Therefore, even a small amount of light and colour could travel a long way.
Bespoke designed luminaires:
Each luminaire was specified with a very short pixel pitch and full power per colour at just 3W/m. As mentioned above the lighting scheme was programmed at significantly less power through dmx flicker free dim-to-dark controls. Replaceable UV-stable opal diffusers were specified below the clear safety glass for maintenance and color matching. Aluminum profiles with quite significant mass were utilised as heat sinks to extend LED life. In case of a failure, only a specific part of a fixture needs to be replaced. Last but not least great care was taken to achieve consistent binning throughout the colours of each single led to ensure the aesthetics of the final scheme.
Lighting Programmer: D.Kapetanellis
Architectural Lighting Design (permanent scheme): Danilof Studio
MEP: Insta
Sustainability Consultants: Dcarbon
Facade Engineer: EOC
Contractor: Terna
