The ancient temples of the Acropolis in Athens are now illuminated by a new lower-energy lighting system.

The LED lighting fixtures are intended to reduce light pollution and make higher-quality lighting to showcase Greece's sacred hill and the Parthenon.

Internationally renowned lighting designer Eleftheria Deko was asked by the Onassis Foundation to design the new lighting system for the monument.

Deko, who was awarded an Emmy for the lighting of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games, created a system that uses a variety of colours and intensities to highlight the three-dimensional nature of the monuments.

As Deko has said in a past interview, “just as in music, pauses play an essential role, so too in lighting, shade and darkness are very important. The balance between the variations is a basic component of good lighting, in theater as well as in architecture.”

Athens based journalist, Anthony Grant, watched the lighting take place from the foot of the Acropolis. He told Euronews, "It was a very clear night under a harvest moon and you could literally see how the new lights distinguish the Parthenon from the walls just below and it was actually pretty dramatic."

Source: euronews