Work on the lighting of St. Vitus Cathedral is reaching its peak
Currently, work is concluding on the new lighting for St. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert Cathedral in Prague. The project is initiated by Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka. The project fits into the overall restoration of the cathedral with the aim of making it more accessible to people who may not necessarily be believers. The previous lighting from the 1970s was completely inadequate due to the small amount of light and significant glare.
The authors of the new lighting concept are architect Marek Štěpán and lighting technician Lubomír Mudroň. They were inspired by period paintings of the cathedral's interior by Ludvik Kohl, which displayed an incredibly impressive lighting atmosphere. The design emphasizes light as such; the fixtures are merely tools to achieve the desired lighting function and atmosphere. The intensity of light, its precise dosage, and color rendition correspond to the character of these spaces. Consideration has also been given to the protection of historically valuable objects and prevention of negative light radiation leakage. In order to avoid interference with the historical structure, the routes of the original installations are respected.
The new fixtures are developed both aesthetically and optically specifically for the Cathedral. They have been tested on prototypes in the laboratory and in situ. They have a contemporary architectural appearance that resonates with the cathedral's vertical tectonics. The cylindrical shape of the fixtures is inspired by the bundled pillar—it appears to be taken from it, divided into individual rotating segments, with adjustable reflectors placed within them.
Due to their weight, the fixtures are made of duralumin, equipped with LED sources in Zhaga standard, and are energy-efficient. The lighting is controlled by a computer in such a way that its individual scenes can optically highlight different elements of the architecture or the layered activities—both sacred, cultural, and visitor-related. Just like the main space, the surrounding areas are newly lit as well, such as the old and new sacristies or the Hilbert treasure chamber.
The new interior lighting of the cathedral was realized thanks to support from the ČEZ Group and will be presented to the public for the first time during the midnight mass at Christmas.
The authors of the new lighting concept are architect Marek Štěpán and lighting technician Lubomír Mudroň. They were inspired by period paintings of the cathedral's interior by Ludvik Kohl, which displayed an incredibly impressive lighting atmosphere. The design emphasizes light as such; the fixtures are merely tools to achieve the desired lighting function and atmosphere. The intensity of light, its precise dosage, and color rendition correspond to the character of these spaces. Consideration has also been given to the protection of historically valuable objects and prevention of negative light radiation leakage. In order to avoid interference with the historical structure, the routes of the original installations are respected.
The new fixtures are developed both aesthetically and optically specifically for the Cathedral. They have been tested on prototypes in the laboratory and in situ. They have a contemporary architectural appearance that resonates with the cathedral's vertical tectonics. The cylindrical shape of the fixtures is inspired by the bundled pillar—it appears to be taken from it, divided into individual rotating segments, with adjustable reflectors placed within them.
Due to their weight, the fixtures are made of duralumin, equipped with LED sources in Zhaga standard, and are energy-efficient. The lighting is controlled by a computer in such a way that its individual scenes can optically highlight different elements of the architecture or the layered activities—both sacred, cultural, and visitor-related. Just like the main space, the surrounding areas are newly lit as well, such as the old and new sacristies or the Hilbert treasure chamber.
The new interior lighting of the cathedral was realized thanks to support from the ČEZ Group and will be presented to the public for the first time during the midnight mass at Christmas.
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