Designed by King George IV’s favourite architect John Nash, All Souls is a ‘Waterloo’ church built in 1823 and is the last surviving Nash church. Constructed from Bath stone, the design combines a graceful 160ft Gothic style spire and a classical rotunda ‘body’.
LTP Integration completed the specification, supply and installation of an elegant white lighting scheme for the Grade 1 listed All Souls Church on Regent Street, in central London’s famous Marylebone district.
We were contacted by designers LUXX, who LTP Integration had previously worked with on numerous innovative architectural lighting projects. Our team was tasked with project managing, co-ordinating and commissioning the lighting once the installation was complete.
The front of the building was lit in three sections – the lower rotunda and entrance, the upper rotunda, and the spire. Creatively underpinning the whole lighting scheme was the imperative to be subtle and understated.
The principal spire lighting scheme consisted of searchlights that were chosen for their marine-grade durability, and because they light each spire facet with no discernible hotspots or tail off light output. The base of the top element of the spire was illuminated by the reflected light from the spire, giving a softer and contrasting glow to the sharp white shaft of the spire.
The key fixtures used on the upper rotunda were Meyer Superlight narrow beam floodlights, picked for their durability. The three-metre high louvers ensconced between each facet were internally lit by EncapSulite fluorescent fittings, giving a broad flat light output through the louvers.
The balustrade at this level was also backlit, simultaneously providing the sole source of indirect lighting for the main upper rotunda façade. Three additional lights were also placed at this level, highlighting the refurbished clocks.
The lower rotunda was primarily lit from behind each of its ten columns with more narrow beam Meyer Superlight fixtures. The resulting reflected light also lifted the remaining inner wall of the rotunda, and the downcasts of light bouncing off the pillars bathe the steps in light.
The other element of ground floor lighting was the illumination of the stone sculpture capitals (each including three gargoyles) at the top of each pillar. The capitals are Ionic in design and complete with unusual winged headed cherubs, based on a design by Michelangelo.
The brief was to do this with absolute minimum impact on the building aesthetics, leaving the light sources virtually invisible, so LTP Integration specified three points of fibre optic per capital as the light source.
The project took four years to come to realisation, but there was no hesitation in getting the installation signed off because of the meticulous attention to detail on completely concealing the light sources from view.
The aim of the lighting design was to ensure the church’s own identity and natural beauty shone through in a seamless amalgamation of well applied effects, utilising both direct and indirect light sources.
LTP Integration met this brief by carefully specifying products that worked with the design, and effectively managed the installation from design concept to completion.
“All Souls Church definitely has a life of its own, something we needed to reflect in the specification of equipment, and the results were hugely rewarding.” – Keith Elms, Business Manager (LTP Integration)
For further information on the products and services used in this building lighting installation, or to discuss a similar exterior architectural lighting scheme, please get in touch today.
Contact us on +44 (0)1554 740500 or start a project and let us know your requirements.
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