LIGHTING
THORN SHINES NEW LIGHT ON ICONIC DURHAM CATHEDRAL
sixteen low output narrow beam luminaires were installed . This provided a precise beam control focussed directly onto the tower helping to minimise stray light . All wide beam floods were replaced with either narrow or medium beam optics to provide greater control and intensity of the Cathedral ’ s architectural features .
For the Cathedral , medium beams were used on the walls and 10 x 40 elliptical beams to project light up , increasing the definition and contrast of these features .
Locally manufactured floodlights from leading manufacturer Thorn Lighting sympathetically showcase historic Durham Cathedral .
Described as the ‘ best cathedral on Planet Earth ’ by author Bill Bryson , Durham Cathedral , built in 1093 , is renowned for its magnificent Romanesque architecture , and more recently for pivotal scenes within the first two Harry Potter movies , which were filmed throughout the cathedral .
Thorn Lighting , a leading manufacturer of performance lighting and controls solutions , worked with Durham County Council and Durham Cathedral to replace the site ’ s ten-year-old external lighting . Which was in need of a refresh due to failures and damaged lights .
Sam Berry Thorn Lighting ’ s Head of Outdoor Sales - UK & Ireland , details , “ We had to work with the existing lighting design so as not to cause any issues with Heritage England . Also , the Cathedral has archaeological responsibilities , so , we kept the existing positions , replacing the fittings and providing new bracketry .”
The high-quality creative scheme has been developed using Thorn ’ s new Contrast , energy efficient floodlights , and state-of-theart control system . Ideal for sympathetically lighting historic architecture .
While previously someone had to attend the site to manually install colour gels to each fitting each time they wanted to represent a special event , the new more efficient system ( with an efficacy of up to 100 lm / W ) enables cathedral staff to change the colour at the touch of a button .
Contrast ’ s RGBW multichip LEDs are mixed in a single lens to give a homogeneous , perfectly blended colour output , with no multi-shadow effect on lit surfaces .
For the lighting of the central tower , four high output floods with
Cllr John Shuttleworth , Durham County Council ’ s Cabinet member for rural communities and highways , comments : “ A project like this must be carefully managed and sympathetic to such a magnificent structure . The new lighting will allow people to appreciate the Cathedral at night with a new perspective .”
For more information on Thorn Lighting please visit the website : www . thornlighting . co . uk
Follow us @ ludmagazine www . landud . co . uk 105