The Parthenon—the most perfect building ever constructed, where no line runs straight, yet every curve and angle work together to create a harmonious balance that defies conventional geometry. A masterpiece of classical architecture, its designers, Iktinos and Kallicrates, along with the sculptor Phidias, seemed to have paid extraordinary attention to optics, light, and special effects.
At its heart stood a magnificent statue of Athena, crafted from gold. So, how did these masterminds conceived its staging? How was it perceived by those who gazed upon it?
To answer these questions, Delara embarked on an ambitious project, led by Dr. Juan de Lara (University of Oxford). Every detail of the Parthenon and the statue of Athena was reconstructed with exacting accuracy in 3D. Then, cutting-edge, physics-based lighting simulations were applied. The result? Absolutely breathtaking. Or, as the ancients would say, “a wonder to behold.”

From Ancient Egypt to Classical Greece, light has been closely associated with the divine. The earliest surviving Greek texts describe the Olympian gods dwelling in dazzling white radiance (Hom. Od. 6.41–46), often appearing to mortals enshrouded in flashing light. For this reason, temples, as the earthly homes of the gods, were meticulously designed to harness and direct light toward their sacred statues. This was especially true of the Parthenon, where both the structure and the nave housing the statue were oriented westward—toward the rising sun. On specific days, particularly during the Great Panathenaea in summer, a beam of sunlight would traverse the temple’s interior, illuminating the colossal statue of Athena in a breathtaking display of divine presence.