The Project
St John’s is a Romanesque chapel, located in the heart of the Tower of London. It was built between 1077 and 1097 and constitutes not only the best preserved interior in the White Tower but also one of the finest examples of Anglo-Norman church architecture in England. A UK scheduled ancient monument, as well as a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site, the Tower is perhaps one of England’s most iconic structures.
Steeped in a rich history, tied closely to the development of the British state and now one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations, The Tower and its environment is rigorously protected by government through the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979. St John’s has been a Royal Chapel for almost a thousand years and the King’s Chaplain still performs a series of royal services within its walls throughout the year. As part of some remedial works, the chapel decided to improve its lighting infrastructure and drew on the Arc System – which was assisted by Matt Lloyd and his team.
The Brief
When any kind of remedial or development work is carried out in such an environment as St John’s Chapel, the demands to limit any negative physical or visual impact are inevitably high on the project agenda. Historic Royal Palaces had wished for some time to improve lighting provision within the chapel to achieve an enhanced experience for visitors and congregations. Architects Carden & Godfrey, retained architects for Historic Royal Palaces at the Tower of London, recommended James Morse, a specialist in the interior and exterior lighting of historic buildings, to design the lighting scheme.
There was to be strictly no disturbance of the ancient fabric and, with this in mind, Morse settled upon a wireless system and turned to the ArcSystem. Contractors EV Bullen, specialists in mechanical and electrical building services and holders of Her Majesty’s Royal Warrant, were appointed to install the scheme, with Matt Lloyd and his team offering their expert assistance throughout.
The Delivery
An entirely wireless ArcSystem was installed, utilising the existing mains wiring to feed the new control system. Being completely wireless, the system did not require the installation of any additional low-voltage cabling, thus meeting an essential demand of the brief that there should be as little physical disturbance as possible to the interior. The system comprised ArcSystem Pro One-Cell Micro fittings in 2700K, controlled by an ArcSystem TX1 Transmitter. Lighting scenes were programmed to allow for winter and summer daylight conditions, as well as for specific services. ArcSystem’s presence in such an important setting demonstrates its effectiveness in meeting the requirements of the most sensitive architectural settings.
Matthew Lloyd comments: “The historical significance of the Tower of London needs no explanation. As a world heritage site and one of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, the Tower is easily one of the most recognisable buildings in the world.” The installation of ArcSystem into St John’s Chapel delivered a high quality solution with zero physical impact on the ancient fabric of the interior. The project partners all agreed that James Morse’s specification of ArcSystem for this challenging space was a master stroke.
