St Mary’s Church

Brief

In continuous use for hundreds of years, St Mary’s Church in Standon, Hertfordshire is a Grade I listed building dating back to Saxon times.

It became clear to the charity who work to preserve the historic building that it was necessary to update the lighting in the church to reflect the growing use of the space for a wide variety of functions, and also to enhance the beauty of the building by highlighting several historical internal features of the church, and create a warmer and more welcoming area.

AV specialist, Clarity in Sound, Light and Vision Ltd headed up the project, and having collaborated with GDS in the past, bought us on board to provide our specialist LED knowledge and share our experience working on listed buildings with restrictive planning permissions.

Approach

GDS produced a series of DIALux designs for the client, to showcase a variety of lighting solutions and ambient settings that could be achieved.

Given the sensitives of the building, a scaffold was required to carry out the works, as the ancient floor couldn’t support heavy machinery while attempting to access the ceiling.

In the chancel, two important tombs were lit with GDS MR16 lamps, with the same units being chosen as uplighters for the ceiling. A combination of Pro One-Cell and Pro Four-Cell units was used in the nave, with ArcLamp fixtures employed in the entrance portico and Pro Two-Cell fixtures in the aisle.

Outcome

The result was a stunning installation that highlighted the rich historical architecture of the church while also providing warm, bright lighting for the whole spectrum of events that take place in the building all year round.

Summing up the project, Richard Cuthbert MD at GDS said, “GDS has a proud history of working within the heritage sector, having supplied and consulted over many projects of this type. Addressing the lighting design of sites that are, in some cases, many hundreds of years old, requires a thorough understanding of principle, technology and application. Our team is well versed in guiding installers and their clients towards achieving their aims. St Mary’s is another fine example where our close cooperation with a trusted partner has delivered exceptional results.”