projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

olomouc is one of the most beautiful christian sites in central europe. the construction of the cathedral began in 1100, on the site of the romanesque basilica. it was consecrated in 1131 but was destroyed by fire in 1204, 1266 and 1803. as a result of these incidents, it was rebuilt in different styles, romanesque, gothic and neo-gothic. today the cathedral has a 102 metre tower, the second tallest tower in the czech republic. inside, there is also the largest bell in moravia. the lighting project encompassed the cathedral’s interior spaces, together with the crypt and the four chapels. the gothic sacristy is 23 metres high and the nave 16.5 metres; the illumination had to be evocative, but there was no possibility of considering concealed lighting. another difficulty in the design was the number of paintings on the walls and display cases containing holy relics. the designers had to accommodate the ideas and thoughts of the archbishop and vbopraga worked closely with the architect, gerhard, who designed the light fittings so that they harmonised as far as possible with the space, in accordance with the archbishop’s brief. the objective was to minimise the impact of new light fittings on the existing building. this objective was achieved by using simple shapes, smaller sizes and appropriate finishes. a cilindro speciale was located in the sacristy, with 8x70W adjustable metal halide lamps, suspended to illuminate the dome, the altar and the pew. mosaico parete fittings with 2x70W metal halide and 4x50W halogen lamps were mounted on the walls to illuminate the whole area and the wall behind the altar. the same design approach was adopted for the walls of the nave but the reduced height also enabled the cilindro a sospensione to be used, with direct / indirect lighting and a special amber glass that suffuses the interior with a very warm light. the nettuno fitting was used in the chapels to light the dome and the altar without touching the walls. the crypt is on two levels, one of which is used as a museum or exhibition space for the church. this area is illuminated by indirect lighting concealed behind the cornice. this type of lighting is suitable for rooms where the items on display are frequently changed. at the level where the sarcophagi are kept, we employed very subdued indirect lighting, using the IP68 rated c2 led system. in the education centre area, however, the notte fitting was used, to emphasise the contrast with the crucifix. the whole project was designed to offer multiple options and practicality, for worship, concerts and to accommodate large crowds.