Danilof Light & Visual Perception Studio was appointed by Noval Property, owner and project manager, to work in a multidisciplinary environment and design the lighting for the Orbit Urban Office Campus in Athens. As a design consultancy working exclusively with light and lighting in the built environment, they were involved from the early stages of the project all the way through concept and technical design to tender stage and construction supervision.

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EXTERIOR VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
EXTERIOR VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
EXTERIOR VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.

Under the direction of Noval Property management, Danilof Studio worked creatively in collaboration with LC Architects & Vikelas Architects, LDK Consultants, DCarbon LEED Consultants and Ecoscapes Landscape Designers to deliver the design documents of the project. Three years later, in August 2020, the architectural lighting project was delivered.

EXTERIOR VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
ATRIUM VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
ATRIUM VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
INTERIOR VIEW OF ENTRANCE LOBBY, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.

According to Athanassios / Thanos Danilof, studio director: “The lighting concept is based on creating an urban nightscape with a strong visual identity where the façade’s structural form shimmers over the dark reflective glazing. A continuous band of cool white light picks out the distinctive shape of the building, wraps around it and dissolves into darkness and ambient luminance. In contrast, the interior lift lobby areas, the “spine” of the eight-storey building, are revealed in a gentler and warmer tone. At ground level warm light delineates the sculptural qualities of the landscape while cool white light accentuates the olive trees. Last but not least, a subtle note is introduced by the delicate shadows cast by the façade plants on each level that move gently as they are caught in the night breeze.”

EXTERIOR VIEW AT NIGHT, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
FACADE DETAIL, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
FACADE DETAIL, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
FACADE DETAIL, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.

By harmonising aesthetics, functionality and sustainability into a coherent lighting solution, Danilof Studio aimed to seamlessly integrate lighting with the architecture, while creating an environment with high levels of visual comfort that prevents light spill and light pollution.

ATRIUM VIEW AT NIGHT, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF ENTRANCE ATRIUM, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF ENTRANCE ATRIUM, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
ATRIUM VIEW AT NIGHT, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.

Towards that end, they developed architectural lighting details and lighting design specs for bespoke luminaires with special optics, housing and light chromaticity characteristics. At the construction stage Terna, in collaboration with Luce Ataliotis and Australian lighting manufacturer Illumination Physics, engineered and delivered the bespoke lighting systems to meet these specifications. This lighting project was designed within the LEED certification framework in collaboration with DCarbon Sustainability consultants. At midnight the façade lighting fades out and a very subtle lighting scheme is on till sunrise. Danilof studio has also performed the LEED Daylight analysis for the buidling.

ATRIUM VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
ATRIUM VIEW AT DUSK, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
FACADE DETAIL, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.
FACADE DETAIL, THE ORBIT – URBAN OFFICE CAMPUS, ATHENS GREECE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY DANILOF LIGHT + VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDIO | ARCHITECTURE BY LC ARCHITECTS & VIKELAS ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHED BY © PYGMALION KARATZAS.

Facts & Credits 
Project title  The Orbit Urban Office Campus
Typology  Office Building, Workspace, Mixed-Use
Location  Athens, Greece
Owner & Project Management  NOVAL Property
Lighting Design  DANILOF light + visual perception studio
Architecture  LC Architects & VIKELAS Architects
Landscape Design  ECOSCAPES
LEED Consultants  DCARBON
MEP Engineer  LDK Consultants
Structural Engineer  G. LABROU & Partners
Structural Engineer Facade  DOMOS
Technical Consultants  ADK
Facade Lighting Supplier  LUCE ATALIOTIS-ILLUMINATION PHYSICS
Construction  TERNA
Completion year  2020
Photo shoot date  August 2020
Photography  Pygmalion Karatzas

Lighting Suppliers
Façade bespoke lighting systems  Luce Ataliotis – Illumination Physics
Landscape Lighting  BEGA, IGuzzini, FLOS, Led linear, Luce & Light
Lobby Areas Lighting  FLOS, IGuzzini, Led Linear


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