In spring 2022, Liska, a renowned lighting design company based in Reykjavík, submitted an initial design proposal to the Parish Committee of Hallgrímskirkja, which required a new illumination for the exterior and interior of the church. The concept was approved shortly after and Liska was charged with the important task of replacing the existing, out-of-date partial illumination of the façade, delivering a brand-new lighting concept to the entire structure. After a careful evaluation of product performance, features, and installation, Griven’s lighting solutions, specified by the creatively driven rental, sales, and technical production company Luxor, were chosen by Liska to fulfill this project.
Örn Erlendsson, lighting designer with Liska, explains the project concept: "Hallgrímskirkja plays an important role in our culture as it is part of Icelandic architectural heritage. The church attracts attention all over the world for its unique design and impressive layout and is a popular destination for the many tourists visiting our country every year. It can be seen from all over the capital area, but until now only its main façade had been illuminated. Redesigning its outdoor lighting at 360°, we wanted to enhance all its architectural features, as well as its walls’ characteristic texture.”
Liska chose a smart lighting system with automatic lighting cycles that could save energy in the harsh Nordic weather conditions. They conceived diverse eye-catching lighting scenes delivering depth to the finest architectural details of the church, while increasing its spatial dimensionality. "This new lighting system brings new possibilities, as DMX controllers offer the option of having either a solid lighting or multiple dynamic colour scenes connected to different events or occasions. The church general lighting is controlled by a calendar and midnight dimming is used to reduce light pollution as much as possible. Coloured lighting is activated by a calendar in line with special occasions, but special scenes can also be activated manually” clarifies Alfreð Sturla, Head of sales, lighting and set designer with Luxor, Griven’s partner in Iceland.
