The Sanctuary in Our Redeemers Lutheran Church was originally constructed in 1944, finished in dark stained wood, was rigidly oriented towards the Chancel and had minimal access to natural light. The architect’s new design added glazing to a quarter of the lower walls, opening the space up to the exterior and allowing the interior to be more connected to the neighborhood.
Lighting improvements were requested, to change the poor color quality metal halide decorative pendant lights to something warmer and dimmable, and to allow for both focused and ambient quality light. The transformation needed to allow for an inclusive and flexible congregation whose space required lighting that could be adjusted to support various arrangements and uses of the space. For presentations given at the Alter, the side, or in the center of the space, a lighting control system was added to be able to change dimmed levels for suitable area accent lights. In addition to changing both mood and area of focus, concealed linear details throughout the space augment both existing and new architectural features – organ, cross, stained glass, etc. The overall effect is uplifting, warm and inviting.
