Historic Churches 2022

16 BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 29TH ANNUAL EDITION GUIDING LIGHTS New approaches to the lighting of cathedral exteriors Bruce Kirk A NATION’S STOCK of religious buildings will normally include some of the greatest landmarks in the country. This is especially true for the United Kingdom as its churches, cathedrals and other places of worship include not only some of the very finest buildings in the land, but also some of the oldest and most prominent. Lincoln Cathedral, founded almost a thousand years ago, held the title of the tallest building ever constructed, from 1311 until the late 1800s. It remained the tallest building in the UK for another hundred years until Canary Wharf tower was completed in 1988. For centuries the cathedral was considered to be one of the most visible buildings in the country, being seen across the vast swathes of relatively flat Lincolnshire landscape and sitting at the highest point of the appropriately named street ‘Steep Hill’. There are several reasons why we choose to light to light buildings like this. Aside from showcasing these architectural wonders simply as landmarks, we should also recognise their importance to the people who see them as places of safety and refuge in a busy and stressful world. From a theological perspective, the fact that a spire points heavenward serves as a constant reminder to humanity of that which is beyond this world, of God, who transcends both time and space. Therefore the very act of lighting a cathedral becomes an act of evangelisation, reminding the communities in which these buildings are located that we are all on a journey from one life to another. From personal experience gained working at St Paul’s Cathedral on 7th July 2005, the date of the London bombings, places of worship are widely seen as places of safety. On that day many people, in a state of shock, instinctively sought out and migrated to London’s churches and cathedrals for stability and certainty, whether to pray or simply to feel a much- needed sense of comfort and security. When the lighting of these buildings is being considered, there may therefore be many different reasons why people consider the work important, so the designer should consult widely to assess stakeholder’s desires and expectations. When the new lighting for Lincoln was being considered, a very strong message was conveyed that the local population saw the cathedral as a guardian looking down and protecting the people of the city at night. A request was made to keep some of the lighting on throughout the night so that night workers and early risers would always feel a sense of security in the hours of darkness. Technology available today means that we can create the most subtle illuminations, or the most extravagant light shows using the same equipment by using a carefully configured control system. At Lincoln, the previous floodlighting system had been commissioned in the 1970s for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Using the technology available at the time it required 50kW of sodium floodlighting which provided a solid orange glow across the higher levels of the building and also up into the night sky. The new system, completed in 2020, added subtle The new colour-changing lighting scheme at Lincoln (Photo: Lincoln Cathedral Chapter) Lincoln Cathedral shrouded in an orange glow of light pollution from the older sodium lighting (Photo: iStock 647646088, Carol Herbert Photography)