St Michael's Church
Upgrading the St-Michael's luminaires to Spots fixtures has given new life to the church's murals and sculptures.
Dating from 1875, Saint Michael's Church in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, is not only a busy working church, but also an important tourist attraction for the town.
In fact, in 2012 it became the first Catholic church in Ireland to be visited by the Queen.
The interior of the church, built in the French Gothic Revival style, features carved columns and arches, a pine ceiling, along with impressive murals and sculptures. Until recently, it was lit by pendants and metal halide projectors, which dated back more than 15 years.
Northern Ireland's Chroma Lighting, working with Mullarkey Petersen Architects and Patrick McCaul Environmental Engineers, have now upgraded all the luminaires to new ones. The team installed 26 of Small Spots in the sanctuary, and 17 Large Spots to light the aisles and murals, using a variety of lens options ranging from a 10º narrow spot to flood. This has lifted the appearance of the church's interior, while reducing running costs.
All the performance projectors are in warm colour temperatures of 3000K and 2700K, with a colour rendering index (CRI) of 80. They are rated to 225,000 hours at L70, meaning they are expected to provide 70% of their original light output after running for 225,000 hours. In practice, that means they should last for decades.
Chroma Lighting selected the performance projectors in a black finish for mounting on woodwork and in a white finish for mounting on light stone pediments.
Upgrading the luminaires has given new life to the church's murals and sculptures. In particular, the mural in the apex of the gable - which for years was left in darkness because the old projectors weren't powerful enough to reach it - is now revealed clearly, with figures visible that could not previously be seen.
Father Raymond Donnelly of St Michael's is delighted with the new luminaires providing brighter light, excellent colour rendering and more precise control, while also cutting energy use and maintenance costs.
EQUIPMENT INSTALLED
1 x Small Spot, 3000K, 20° optic with linear fresnel lens
2 x Small Spot, 2700K, 10° optic
8 x Small Spot, 3000K, 20° optic
15 x Small Spot, 3000K, 40° optic
2 x Large Spot, 3000K, 20° optic
4 x Large Spot, 3000K, 60° optic
11 x Large Spot, 3000K, 40° optic