Carlisle Cathedral is a Grade I listed Anglican cathedral in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, which was founded in 1133 and built in the Gothic architectural style. The cathedral is an important hub for the local area, hosting religious services and community events.
The cathedral’s existing lighting system was over 20 years old, using outdated technology, and featured cabling which was beyond repair. LITE was approached by Carlisle City Council to deliver an upgraded lighting scheme for the cathedral, using modern LED technology and introducing dynamic lighting to enhance this traditional space.
LITE provided the design, supply, installation and commission of the exterior lighting scheme for the project, recommending a number of solutions from their market-leading portfolio to meet the design brief for the facade lighting. This included UniFlood LED floodlights to illuminate the facade and a Gobo projector - The Exterior™ Projection 500, to integrate bright and dynamic projections into the outdoor spaces.
As the existing floodlighting was positioned away from the building and at ground level, the new scheme repositioned the fixtures at the tower face, the parapet and the roof, to highlight many of the cathedral’s key features across the entire facade. Installing fixtures at a high-level location also ensured that the lighting is discreet and has little visual impact during daytime hours. To protect the infrastructure of the Grade I listed building, fixtures were fitted using a non-penetrating roof mount to be sympathetic to the existing structure and architecture of the building.
LITE also utilised a wireless remote Pharos LPC controller in the installation to allow the Council to remotely set the lighting scenes to various displays and colours. The council now has full control over the colour-changing settings, giving them the ability to create flexible illuminating displays.
David Robertson, from LITE said, “Illuminating historic landmarks like Carlisle Cathedral requires a careful balance of modern technology and architectural sensitivity. By integrating dynamic LED lighting and a wireless control system, we’ve not only enhanced the cathedral’s facade but also provided Carlisle City Council with a flexible, future-proof solution to celebrate this iconic space.”
