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Panos Ioannidis, based in Greece, is founder of Lighting Design Magazine. After a few very difficult years during the economic crisis in Greece, he moved to the Middle East in 2014. During the Pandemic, Panos started the Lighting Design Magazine Website, Instagram, and Linkedin pages dedicated to Lighting Designers around the world. The online magazine features mostly façade lighting projects and dynamic lighting installations.
What made you start Lighting Design Magazine?
I want to help increase awareness about lighting design. There are so many great designers in this industry working on fantastic projects, creating added value for everyone involved, especially in lighting public spaces. Lighting design is a win-win situation for cities and communities.
What is your motivation?
My love and passion for lighting design. When I discover a nice project, it is a moment of happiness for me.
Why do you like Color Kinetics?
One of our competitors started working with Color Kinetics in 1999. I remember very well that they installed a color-changing system in their showroom. Every time I drove past, I couldn’t understand how this magic happened in front of my eyes. This is how we discovered Color Kinetics at a very early stage, and the brand is one of my heroes.
Which Color Kinetics projects inspire you the most and why?
Guanyin Altar is maybe the best lighting project I have ever seen.
How important are interactivity and connectivity in lighting design?
We need professional lighting design from the best designers. Every new technology is welcome, but can’t work without a strong conceptual design.
How important is sustainability in lighting design?
We have an old gas and electricity factory that has been illuminated with Color Kinetics lighting for almost 20 years. And it is still working so well. We need to think when we make these kinds of decisions, "When will this project be renovated?” Each time the answer is 5 years or more, so we have to choose the best possible products.
How do you use the power of light to bring people together?
All over the world, we see the power of lighting for our cities. Neighborhoods come alive, local economy thrives, and communities are created.
What is not yet possible in lighting architecture that you would like to see become a reality in the future?
We need smaller fixtures, more efficiency, greater flexibility, less weight, and more environmentally-friendly materials.
Future plans?
I would love to see Lighting Design Magazine grow and have more impact.
