Ely Cathedral

The aim of the project was to replace the existing lighting scheme at Ely Cathedral with an updated, innovative design with dynamic colour-changing scenes which can be controlled remotely.

This would allow the cathedral to light the Octagon Tower in colour schemes of their choice to mark specific occasions and celebrations, both to support its key mission and for the local community.

Light Perceptions and Pharos Architectural Controls worked exceptionally well with the Cathedral to obtain the permissions needed for a Grade I listed building governed by the Church of England’s regulatory system. While the Cathedral is primarily a place of worship, it is also an important heritage attraction, a venue for music and events, and a filming location.

It was therefore key to ensure that any new lighting scheme was capable of showing the architecture off to its full potential while supporting a range of uses and enhancing the Cathedral’s daily round of worship.

The new lighting system aimed to reveal more of the detail and beauty of the building while being less visually intrusive. The lighting also needed to be upgraded to a more energy-efficient and sustainable system, in honour of the Church’s commitment to being carbon neutral by 2030.

A Pharos TPC (Touch Panel Controller) is now used by the Cathedral, offering a customisable 4.3-inch touch screen with a single Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) network connection. The touchscreen interface allows Ely Cathedral to create multiple pages of controls and configure their appearance to provide immediate visual feedback.

The advanced technology of the Pharos TPC allows for control of lighting levels and playbacks that can gracefully transition between scenes, timelines, effects and pixel-mapped media. Cloud control has been installed to allow the end user to log in and reprogramme the lighting for events.

A Pharos EXT bolsters the system even further. The EXT is an extension for the Pharos TPC and together they form a standalone, mains-powered lighting control system with flexible output and show control options. In addition, the EXT provides local DMX and DALI output for the TPC, as well as power and other hardware interfaces.

The outdated lighting has been completely renovated and the new lighting design has been perfectly crafted to illuminate the beauty of the fourteenth-century Octagon Tower, making it more fully revealed at night.

The flexibility of the new external system is important as it allows the Cathedral to use colours and dynamic lighting to mark special occasions or events. Upon completion, the lighting was programmed to show support for the people of Ukraine through a poignant and touching display of the country’s flag.

In addition, the new system has removed the need for someone to change the lighting manually when required, which incurred time and cost. This allows the lighting system to be more efficient and fit for purpose, which has led to reduced energy usage and a significant lowering of cost.

The new lighting scheme shows the architecture off to its full potential while supporting a range of uses and enhancing the Cathedral’s daily round of worship. The new system reveals more of the detail and beauty of the building while being less visually intrusive.

This project holds so much importance as Ely Cathedral is a historic and iconic local landmark, known as ‘the ship of the Fens’ because of its prominent position above the surrounding flat landscape. Ely Cathedral can be dated back to AD 763, when it began its life as an abbey church built by St Etheldreda. The current building dates from 1083 and Ely was raised to cathedral status in 1109.

The lighting design has secured Ely Cathedral as an important visual symbol for the local community and a stunning showcase of medieval architecture used as a backdrop for events and filming for now and the future.

The Ely Cathedral project has been split into phases, with phase 1 focusing on the exterior of the Cathedral’s Octagon Tower, completed in June 2022. The success of this first phase showcases the Octagon Tower as it is lit externally while the rest of the cathedral is not. The second phase will continue to enhance this structure, lighting it for years to come.