case study
Image: Ed Hasler
All Souls Church London, UK One of London’s most revered sites, the All Souls Church has been given a new lighting system, utilising fixtures from GVA, that showcases its architectural splendour.
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All Souls Church, Langham Place is an esteemed landmark rated as one of the most treasured buildings in London, with its Grade I listed status indicating its exceptional national, architectural, or historical value. All Souls Church was recently looking for a new lighting system to replace luminaires that were no longer functional. CES, a family-owned business in the UK that offers architecturally sensitive and discreet installations, was chosen and tasked with this honour, choosing to add a magical touch with light from GVA. John Nash is the esteemed original architect behind All Souls Church, a figure who significantly shaped the architectural scene in the Georgian and Regency eras of British architectural history. His legacy is vividly apparent through the numerous landmarks he designed, spanning neoclassical to picturesque styles. Nash firmly established his reputation, thanks to support from two of the most influential men of his time: the Prince Regent, later known as King George IV, and James Burton, a prominent property developer. For restoring the masterpiece created by John Nash, the main objective was to light up all aspects of All Souls Church, showcasing the architecture with a unique interplay between shadows and light. CES recently won a 2023 IALD Award of Excellence for the work they did on Rochester Cathedral, which also included GVA luminaires, so they were the right choice for this undertaking.
A traditional lighting scheme was used for All Souls Church, made special with the use of GVA STR9 and FL RGBW luminaires. The rich colour palette of the luminaires allows communication for royal celebrations, holidays, and Christmas festivities. The aspect of colour made this rejuvenation both traditional and modern, adding flair to the architecture. CES trialed many fixtures from industry leaders, and most were only able to illuminate half of the spire before the light faded, leaving the upper section of the spire dark and unlit. When CES trialed the 4° FL100 fixture from GVA, the team knew they had found the perfect fit, as the spire was consistently lit from bottom to the top. The luminaires proved to be the perfect solution for ensuring that the church’s lofty steeple would always be radiant with steady, uniform light. The CES team implemented an ingenious solution at All Souls Church by predominantly utilising the pre-existing screw holes and mortar, complete with specially designed brackets to hold the fixtures in place. In the spirit of preservation, the work was done in a manner to ensure that the building could be restored to its most original state if desired. www.gvalighting.com