The Holy Family of Nazareth Chapel is a beautiful, well-proportioned chapel with distinctive period features and details. General ageing and ad-hoc repairs had meant the building had lost its original charm while interior lighting levels were inadequate which made reading and wayfinding difficult. We worked with the clients, an admirable community of Sisters, to clarify their brief and deliver a comprehensive and cohesive design. New and discrete lighting from Italian manufacturer iGuzzini was introduced, offering good levels of ambient lighting whilst also enhancing and drawing focus to the more important features in the chapel. The refurbishment included a new stone floor in the Presbytery, discrete heating and works to the chapel’s distinctive timber structure, walls and ceiling. The cumulative effect is a warm and welcoming place of worship.
We found Roman very reliable, diligent and competent. The closure of the Chapel was limited to the minimum, and the works successfully finished, on time and on budget.
A large part of the work we undertook was understanding how the chapel should respond to its visitors and permanent guests. Lighting is such an integral part of how we experience space, the three images below show how discreet lighting can change our perception of a space.
