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HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND LIGHTING DESIGN Liska
Located in Iceland’s capital, Hallgrímskirkja is the country’s largest church, and with its 73m-high tower one of its most photographed landmarks. Commissioned in 1937, begun in 1945 and finished in 1986, it was designed by architect Guðjón Samúelsson to honour 17th-century saint and poet Hallgrímur Pétursson. Samúelsson was fascinated by volcanic activity and the shapes formed from cooled lava. Inside, the lines of the architecture soar into the high vaults, evoking the shape of a geyser. The project involved renewing the decades-old lighting in the main hall of the church and in the organ room, with the usual issues of heritage and functionality of the church, like many ecclesiastical buildings used for both services and secular events. The lighting concept, winner of an Award of Merit in the 2023 IALD awards among others, was designed to highlight the architectural features and emphasise the volume of the interior. It was heavily influenced by the Nordic lights sky and its rhythms. ‘The lighting scenes give depth and dimension, optically broadening the church during community events or emphasising verticality for spiritual events,’ says Reykjavik-based designers Liska, the Icelandic word for chromaticity. Practically that meant a versatile smart lighting system with Erco LED spotlights, sensors, and dynamic wireless control that could work both with the surroundings and a changing calendar of cultural events.
Warm white downlighting creates a comfortable general ambience while
RGBW fittings in vaults and corridors highlight architectural features and provide the opportunity for creative colour scenes during special events. The altar is illuminated by tuneable white spotlights, which stand out regardless of the colour of other lights. Tuneable white frontlighting and RGBW backlighting of the organ creates a shadow play that shifts with temperature and colour.
Different temperatures of white light are used to delineate the exterior architecture. The facade, roof and tower are grazed with colder tones, offsetting the warm lighting of the interior and clock tower. Light fixtures are carefully positioned to be discreet and to enhance the sculptural, three-dimensional surface with its descending columns. It is rare to have an exterior scheme that picks up where the interior left off (or vice versa), but there is a harmony between the interior and exterior lighting, with communication between the wireless indoor and outdoor DMX light fittings. The Pharos external lighting control system allows for dynamic colour displays and animations. ‘Externally, the facade acts as a display of engagement in religious and national celebrations or international movements,’ says Liska.
Energy saving was a key criterion, with sensors and smart cycles used to reduce energy consumption inside, while outside an automatic lighting cycle adjusts to the Nordic winter darkness, saving energy through the brighter periods by applying dimming profiles. All
exterior lights are then turned off during the night to reduce light pollution. Founded seven years ago by a team of lighting designers and electrical engineers, Liska has been something of a pioneer in lighting design in Iceland. The firm has based its lighting approach on prioritising the specific needs and well-being of individuals, and living organisms, occupying spaces or environments.
‘In Icelandic schools, for example, we’ve been putting the focus on the biological effect light has on kids and members of the staff,’ Kateřina Blahutová, architect and lighting designer at Liska told Scan Magazine. ‘Adjusting the colour temperature and intensity at certain times throughout the day can help preserve circadian rhythms, thus affecting the children and helping establish routines beneficial for their development.’ It is a pertinent consideration given the particular conditions of Icelandic light, with dark winters and long summer days, which inevitably affect the mental and emotional well-being of its inhabitants. ‘Our human-centric lighting approach is very much based on circadian rhythms and our design caters to these changes in human energy throughout the day,’ adds Blahutová. ‘On the Hallgrímskirkja project, the colour temperature and intensity of light is adjusted throughout the day to give visitors a sense of natural rhythm.’
liska.is –
Client: Hallgrímskirkja Church Committee Architect: Guðjón Samúelsson; Andrés Narfi Andrésson
ALL IMAGES: ÖRN ERLENDSSON
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