Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company On Purpose Light
Lead Designers Alexandra Bourganou
Architecture Company Manolis Stavrakakis
Client Acropolis Museum, Greek Ministry of Tourism & Greek National Tourism Organization
Photo Credits Frederik Petersen
Other Credits Exhibits: Robert McCabe Photos
Completion Date 28 May 2024
Project Location Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
Entry Description“In the Land of Dreams”, lighting transforms the temporary exhibition at the Acropolis Museum into an emotional journey through Robert McCabe’s Greece. The design doesn’t just illuminate; it narrates.
Stepping into the space, visitors embark on a journey through time. Curving blue walls guide them like gentle waves, softly washed in sea-like gradients that evoke the rhythm of the Aegean. This gentle motion draws them deeper into memory, deeper into place. Lighting temperatures are carefully employed throughout the exhibition. Warm tones in the central “island” evoke intimacy and nostalgia, while cooler accents along the periphery reveal the stark beauty of untouched landscapes.
At the centre, the warmly lit “island” offers a serene pause; a moment of stillness and reflection. There, McCabe’s black-and-white photographs stand proudly in rugged, raw metal frames, reminiscent of wayfinding signs scattered along island paths. Each piece is individually lit with precision; directional beams enhance texture, contrast, and emotional depth.
Shadows are used deliberately, shaping pockets of silence and memory. It is as if the light itself is revealing forgotten stories. Here, lighting is not the background; it is the storyteller, shaping how we see, feel, and remember.
Sustainability ApproachSustainability was a central focus for this exhibition, with the museum's existing lighting equipment carefully adapted to meet the design’s needs. All luminaires were equipped with on-board dimming, allowing precise control over light levels and minimising power consumption. The lighting was focused exclusively on the exhibits, reducing the use of excess equipment and ensuring a clean, uncluttered ceiling. The design fostered a darker, more subdued atmosphere than typical bright photography spaces, with most luminaires dimmed to achieve significant energy savings. Hand-cut theatrical gels were used to create varying colour temperatures, avoiding the need for complex DMX protocols or new RGB luminaires. This approach met aesthetic goals while reducing material and energy waste, balancing environmental responsibility with artistic vision.
