In spring 2022, Liska, a renowned lighting design company based in Reykjavík, submitted
an initial design proposal to the Parish Committee of Hallgrímskirkja, which
required a new illumination for the exterior and interior of the church. The
concept was approved shortly after and Liska was charged with the important
task of replacing the existing, out-of-date partial illumination of the façade,
delivering a brand-new lighting concept to the entire structure. After a
careful evaluation of product performance, features, and installation, Griven’s
lighting solutions, specified by the creatively driven rental, sales, and
technical production company Luxor, were chosen by Liska to fulfill this
project.
Örn Erlendsson, lighting designer with Liska, explains
the project concept: "Hallgrímskirkja plays an important
role in our culture as it is part of Icelandic architectural heritage. The
church attracts attention all over the world for its unique design and
impressive layout and is a popular destination for the many tourists visiting
our country every year. It can be seen from all over the capital area, but
until now only its main façade had been illuminated. Redesigning its outdoor
lighting at 360°, we wanted to enhance all its architectural features, as well
as its walls’ characteristic texture.”
Liska chose a smart lighting system with automatic
lighting cycles that could save energy in the harsh Nordic weather conditions.
They conceived diverse eye-catching lighting scenes delivering depth to the
finest architectural details of the church, while increasing its spatial
dimensionality. "This new
lighting system brings new possibilities, as DMX controllers offer the option
of having either a solid lighting or multiple dynamic colour scenes connected
to different events or occasions. The church general lighting is controlled by
a calendar and midnight dimming is used to reduce light pollution as much as
possible. Coloured lighting is activated by a calendar in line with special
occasions, but special scenes can also be activated manually” clarifies Alfreð
Sturla, Head of sales, lighting and set designer with Luxor, Griven’s partner
in Iceland.
