Athens’ historic Panathenaic Stadium has received a new lighting system which aims to significantly enhance the sustainability claims of the venue.
Implemented by Greek company George Tellos – LightingArt, the new system was inaugurated at a ceremony attended by Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, along with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and Hellenic Olympic Committee president Spyros Capralos.
The new lighting system, comprising of over 3,600 LED bulbs, is designed to highlight the marble used to construct the stadium, which was home to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and was also used as a venue for Athens’ staging of the 2004 Games.
The new system is claimed to reduce light pollution at Panathenaic Stadium by over 70%, and cut in half the venue’s energy requirements.
Speaking at the inauguration, Capralos said: “This historic stadium stands as a bridge uniting the ancient games with the modern Olympic Games while maintaining their timelessness and universality in the eternal journey of time.
“Therefore, the legacy that Zappas entrusted to the Hellenic Olympic Committee is of great value and we, the younger ones, have the duty to preserve it. At the same time, it is our duty to continue to highlight the legacy of the Stadium, its role, its importance and the incomparable beauty it reflects.
“The renewed lighting… offers even more light to our historical monument and to the heart of Athens. I would like to thank all my colleagues at the Hellenic Olympic Committee for the decision to revive the lighting of the Kallimarmaro Stadium, and all those who contributed to the implementation of this idea that fills us with pride.
“Not only because this historic monument is emerging again, but also because, in that way, we contribute to a sustainable environment by reducing both energy consumption and light pollution.”
Image: Hellenic Olympic Committee
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