Lighting experts join artists and artisans in enriching St Stephen’s

[DESIGNED BY architect Charles Barry Jr in 1868, St Stephen’s is a beautiful Grade Two-listed church in Dulwich, South London. A landmark in the area, the proud spire was once surrounded by dirt roads and green trees. Today, it towers over an urban landscape, still clearly visible for miles around. The Victorian Gothic building has always had a flair for the dramatic.

Over the years St Stephen’s has captured the imaginations of many. The first to find inspiration in the grand spire was French Impressionist Camille Pissarro in 1870. Pissarro depicts the newly built St Stephen’s standing proudly, with Crystal Palace in the distance. The painting shows the church was as much a hub of the community then as it is now. And the inside was just as majestic, richly adorned with elaborate paintings covering every flat surface and shining gold chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling.

In 1944 St Stephen’s suffered considerable damage from V1 ‘Flying Bombs’ – almost lifting the roof off and severely impairing the church’s structural integrity. Only parishioner determination and the talents of a local young builder could save St Stephen’s and restore it to its former glory.

Richly decorated once more, the church now plays an important part at the heart of the local community; and in 2004 a new organ by Roger Pulham of Suffolk was installed at the west end.

After capturing imaginations and inspiring painters, builders and organ makers for over 150 years, designers at CES Lighting & Electrical Specialists found themselves tasked with rethinking the lighting design. The team wanted to cater for the needs of the church, its carbon footprint, maintenance and flexibility, while fashioning something that accentuated its rich history and grand decor. And, importantly, it had to be functional for the countless ways that the church engages with the local community.

David Burch, senior lighting designer, described the resultant scheme: “We created an elegant LED lighting design controlled by a simple, modern DALI dimming system – easy to manage and allowing flexibility. With care and attention, we placed the fittings in discreet locations so as not to get in the way of anyone seated in the nave but still provide optimum lighting. The church is now bathed in light and can cater for a wide variety of functions – from liturgical services at the east to choirs and performances in the west side of the building.

“Of an evening there is automatic external lighting of the tower with several of the internal lights highlighting features to produce an inviting view through and of the stained glass windows for all those that pass.

“The lighting had to enhance the church’s atmosphere: highlighting grand ceilings, paintings, sculptures and ostentatious architectural features. So we illuminated each of the angels located along the arcade, lit up the clerestory window with incidental light pouring into the roof space, and captured the church’s paintings and mosaics.

“We added high-quality lighting to the fresco in the chancel, drawing the eye to the artwork’s detail and vibrancy. We also illuminated the organ pipes to showcase the church’s historic and contemporary investment in – and love of – music. Finally, we chose the high altar, triptych reredos and east window to offer a backdrop to services and events taking place from the dais.

“With so much history, grandeur and importance in the local community, we had to create a lighting design to enhance but never dominate. With such a beautiful building it was clear we had to let the church architecture and artwork do the talking: to shine a light, literally, on the building’s heritage so it can continue to inspire everyone who visits.”

Churchwarden Barney Hearnden summed up the reaction of the church to the new lighting scheme: “We are delighted with the work that CES has done for us at St Stephen’s. They have been thorough, professional and a pleasure to deal with throughout the process.

“Thanks to their creativity and attention to detail, we now have a wonderful lighting scheme, which reduces our carbon footprint, showcases all of the beautiful features of the church and gives us flexibility to adjust the settings for every occasion.” q