Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company Tillotson Design Associates
Lead Designers Suzan Tillotson, Amanda Arikol
Architecture Company Thomas Fenniman Architect
Client Christ Church United Methodist
Photo Credits John Muggenborg
Completion Date December 2022
Project Location New York, NY
Entry DescriptionThe relighting of this historic church creates an atmosphere befitting its remarkable architectural features. In celebration of the varied scale and materiality of the Main Sanctuary and ancillary spaces, a decorative family was designed around original Chapel lanterns. 8 new large-scale lanterns in the Sanctuary, based on unearthed renderings from the original church design, compliment existing fixtures.
The Sanctuary lanterns measure almost 6ft high and provide multiple layers of light within a single fixture assembly. Uplights within light the gold tile ceilings, while a central downlight surrounded by four satellite components create even downlighting with carefully aimed accentlights. Concentric-ring louvers reduce surface brightness, redirecting focus to the architecture.
A discreet theatrical system, mounted above the congregation, softly lights the altarpiece and intricate mosaics around the Sanctuary. Each element is individually lit and dimmed to create a hierarchy, along with functional layers for the choir and lecterns.
The niches of the Side Chapel are softly lit, while refurbished original lanterns, outfitted with small accent lights, provide layers of speaker and architectural lighting.
Custom pendants in the Transept, replicas of the Chapel fixtures, include an uplight component to celebrate the ceiling, bridging the gap between the Sanctuary and Chapel.
Sustainability ApproachThe retrofitting and technological upgrading of existing lighting was a primary design goal for this project. Many fixtures in ancillary and circulation areas were refurbished and retrofitted with LED lamping, and the halogen theatrical system was replaced with an efficient LED system. The original existing decorative lanterns in the chapel were redesigned to accommodate LED technology, which the larger new Sanctuary pendants also employed.
Throughout the church, the controls system was upgraded to include occupancy and vacancy sensors, further reducing the energy usage of the building.
