© University of Cambridge
How did you come to develop this research project?
The Parthenon has always held a special allure for me, perhaps due to its central role as a reference point in the history of art and architecture. I've long been fascinated by spaces that no longer exist, and by the challenge of imagining how they might have felt. Given my background in 3D modelling and CGI, this project offered a unique opportunity to explore that question.
Are the kinds of lighting effects we see in the Parthenon exceptional among Greek temples, or can we see your reconstruction as a kind of model for visual experience in Greek temples in general?
Based on the data I have been able to gather, the visual experience of each temple — as well as the rituals performed within it — varied significantly depending on the deity being worshipped, the origin of the cult, and the temple's geographical context. However, from the fifth century BCE and as we move into the Hellenistic period, there is a marked increase in a conscious staging of the religious experience.
© University of CambridgeEnriched frontal view of the interior of the Parthenon.
The face and arms of the 12-metre-high statue of Athena were crafted from ivory. Kenneth Lapatin conducted a detailed study of chryselephantine statuary and suggested that Phidias may have used a technique involving unrolling the ivory and then softening it — possibly through a controlled heating process — to create veneers that were glued together. In the video, I wanted viewers to get a proper sense of its materiality, and also of the fact that, as an organic material, ivory decays.
How do we know about the furniture in the cella of the Parthenon and how they may have effected the visual experience?
Our knowledge of the furnishings within the Parthenon comes primarily from ancient inventories, many of which have been thoroughly analysed by scholars like Diane Harris Cline. These detailed records reveal that temples were not static, empty spaces (as many reconstructions suggest); rather, they often acted as museums, safeguarding objects of both material and emotional value. It is particularly striking to learn that the Parthenon housed a significant number of incense burners as well as items of militaria. It is likely that these burners were in use, which would have substantially altered both the visual and olfactory experience of the temple.
© University of CambridgePersepective view of the Statue of Athena in the Parthenon.
The primary materials used — marble, gold, and ivory — were likely chosen for their inherent luminosity. When finely worked and polished, each of these substances possesses a remarkable ability to reflect and refract light. As illustrated in the video, the visual effect upon entering the Parthenon is one of dynamic reflectivity: the statue of Athena appears to emerge gradually from the surrounding darkness — a true epiphanic vision.
Is the way light was used in the Greek temple something uniquely thought by the Greeks or did they learn from other civilizations?
This is a complex issue to assess. One possible approach is to adopt a macroscopic perspective, viewing the relationship between sunlight, architecture, and religious symbolism across the Mediterranean basin as part of a broader cultural continuum — a kind of koine. To this regional network, we must also add Mesopotamia and even India, regions now understood to have had important cultural and intellectual exchanges with ancient Greece. However, while architectural responses to light may exhibit shared elements across these cultures, each religious system developed its own distinct understanding and use of light. For instance, the Greek conception of sunlight differs significantly from that of Egypt, reflecting unique cosmologies — even if their architectural expressions sometimes converged in form and orientation.
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