Lighting for churches and other places of worship needs to be guided by a number of key criteria that take account of the architecture while also being sensitive to the nature of the worship within the building. This is particularly important in situations where light is symbolic to that particular religion.
In addition to the basic function of visibility, lighting in such buildings is often required to complement the interior while also highlighting particular religious objects. And, as with all lighting projects, attention must be paid to details such as energy consumption, carbon emissions and maintenance requirements.
This type of project normally requires the use of various types of fixture with diverse optics and reflectors, or with special technical features for creating the desired lighting effect. For example, narrow bands of light may be used to highlight small objects like statues or icons, wall washers are required for lighting vertical components, while spots with articulated mountings are the ideal solution for directly and indirectly lighting the frames typically mounted at the sides of the hallway.
It is also important to bear in mind that many places of worship accommodate a wide range of activities, beyond the act of worship itself. For this reason the lighting needs to enable the building operators to alter the lighting scene to suit the particular activities taking place.
Such schemes may also encompass the exterior of the building, either to display the architecture at night or to ensure safe passage to and from car parks etc. Again, attention must be paid to issues such as energy efficiency and maintenance requirements while also avoiding light spillage and light pollution.
Reggiani’s comprehensive range of luminaires enables us to very precisely meet the lighting requirements of any place of worship while also addressing all of these criteria in a sensitive and thoughtful way.