Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral, known as the ‘Ship of the Fens’ because it stands on flat, marshy land, has a very ancient history dating back to the 7th century A.D. and the dissolution of the monasteries ordered by Henry VIII between 1536 and 1540. From that date, it became an Anglican cathedral and is currently surrounded by the largest core of medieval residential buildings in the United Kingdom.  

Architecturally, the cathedral is distinguished by two elements: the octagonal tower, built in place of the Norman tower that collapsed in 1322, an impressive construction of wood, lead and glass, supported by eight pillars, which characterises the building and marks the landscape. The second element is the Lady Chapel: the largest chapel ever consecrated in the UK; begun by Alan of Walsingham in 1321 and completed thirty years later just before the Black Death.   

It was the lighting of the octagonal tower that represented the first phase of the building's enhancement project, followed by the complete lighting of the interior. The undertaking involved all the worship areas, the vast space of the nave vaults as well as the emergency lighting and was based on a meticulous and careful lighting design, studied and realised by CBG Light Perceptions. 
The result is an installation that exemplifies innovative design and energy efficiency: almost four years of planning and over two years of construction have transformed the appearance of one of England's most majestic cathedrals.  

The CBG Light Perceptions team consulted with the dean and clergy, music department, events team and operations staff to understand how the new lighting could affect the life of the cathedral. The result improves the liturgy, music and involvement of the faithful and visitors, as well as highlighting architectural details that have not been seen for centuries.     
CBG ensured that the lighting design not only met contemporary energy standards and contributed to environmental targets, including a 42% reduction in carbon emissions by 2019 and the achievement of net zero by 2030, but also met the cathedral's multiple needs through the use of a reprogrammable preset control system that also allows for manual controls and fine tuning.   

iGuzzini contributed to the realization of the project with Palco floodlights, chosen for their complete range. In fact, Palco with large and small bodies, flood and medium optics, equipped with refractors and honeycomb filters were used. The lighting fittings are used to provide general lighting of the naves, but also of the vaults to enhance the splendid Gothic ribs and in some cases the pictorial decorations. The spotlights were placed on the vaulting, above the capitals of the pillars and columns, and in some cases on specially made metal structures placed on the arches of the upper ambulatory. Some of the luminaires were also supplied with two special finishes, an ivory white and a cement grey, to further enhance their visual integration into the environment. 

For CBG, the success of the project demonstrates how careful lighting design can harmonize with conservation. Historic buildings can be at the forefront of sustainability without compromising their cultural and spiritual significance, and this is also demonstrated by the fact that the cathedral has been awarded A Rocha UK's Gold Eco Church Award.