Modern lighting in historic buildings

Lighting solutions that balance heritage conservation, ambience and modern functionality

Bronze Hall of the Bavarian Palace Administration at the Munich Residenz: an exhibition space featuring bronze sculptures on white pedestals. Suspended from the stucco ceiling with its vaulted structure are ANELLO ring pendant lights with integrated spotlights, which illuminate the exhibits and the room. | © Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung, Residenz München

Historic buildings present particular challenges when it comes to lighting. Architecture, materials, heritage protection and modern usage requirements must all be balanced.

 


Whether it’s a church, a museum, a bank, an administrative building or a renovated historic building – modern lighting solutions can complement historic architecture in a subtle way whilst meeting the highest technical standards.

 


SATTLER supports architects, designers and building owners in developing bespoke lighting solutions for challenging existing buildings.

 

 

What do you need to bear in mind?

What lighting solutions have we already implemented?

This is where we share our wealth of experience.

 

Topics that might also interest you in this context:

customised solutions
Refurbishment lighting solutions

 

Stone monuments to contemporary history

"Historic buildings are stone witnesses that reflect the architecture and culture of bygone eras. In Central Europe, architectural styles such as the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Historicist periods dominate, shaping famous landmarks and cityscapes. [...]

Buildings tell stories; they bear witness to the distinctive characteristics of a region, serve as landmarks, and bring people together across time and borders. Historic buildings are irreplaceable and unique – and that is precisely why they are so worthy of protection. Countless lives and events have, over time, turned them into repositories of experience. Within them, history becomes tangible, historical milestones become real, and great figures become human. The attention to detail and craftsmanship that their builders applied, in both small and large ways, is often unimaginable today." 

- German Foundation for Monument Protection - 

 

Typical historical building styles

Typical historic building types that we still encounter today once served a variety of purposes and housed a wide range of people and objects. Today, some still fulfil the same function, but increasingly, the original purpose is no longer reflected in the spaces. As the beauty of these old buildings continues to be appreciated, they are increasingly being repurposed to serve new functions. For example, we are seeing more and more churches being converted into event venues, museums or even clubs, or simply used temporarily for other large-scale events. In future, this aspect will certainly be taken into account more and more in considerations for potential conversions, and consequently also in the planning of lighting and light installations.

Museums & cultural venues

The former Jewish synagogue, now a Jewish museum. Lighting for the display cases, information panels and exhibits, including those in the gallery, using a track system and round, adjustable AVVENI spotlights. | © Rose Hajdu, Stuttgart
The historic event hall at Kassel Stadthalle. An open-plan space featuring a second level with a seated gallery and a wraparound balcony. Round downlights from the BE series are distributed across the entire length of the ceiling. | © Hell + Dunkel | SATTLER

 

Key features

•    Precise lighting control

•    Protection of sensitive exhibits
•    Flexible lighting

 

Public buildings & government offices

 

The main courtroom at Göppingen District Court features a large wooden table surrounded by chairs. The ceiling is a historic vaulted ceiling with stone ribs. Suspended from it is a large ring-shaped light, the ANELLO. | © SATTLER
TU Darmstadt Castle study room in the vaulted cellar. White tables with table lamps and additional indirect ceiling lighting provided by the Slim indirect ring pendant lights.

 

Key features

•    prestigious spaces 
•    modern workspaces in existing buildings
•    integration of new technology

 

Castles & historic hotels

Hotel restaurant and bar at the Nattika Ayurveda Hotel in Berlin Alt Rhese ‘Park am See’. Lighting provided by PALADIO series luminaires suspended in a square formation with EVOLUTION SPOTS, and in an open horseshoe shape above the bar with AVVENI PENDANT 1 pendant luminaires. | © https://www.cremeguides.com/berlin/retreat-park-am-see-nattika-ayurveda/
Vaulted wine cellar of the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg with wooden barrels along the walls, in the centre is a long, festive table consisting of several wooden tables and chairs with candles on the tables, above which hovers a modern chandelier consisting of several interconnected ring lights (TOCCATA). | © Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg | Photo: Brigitte Sauer

 

Key features

•    decorative lighting effects
•    high-quality materials
•    customised solutions

 

Churches & religious buildings

 

Chancel of a historic church with stone walls and pillars, wooden benches and golden, directly and indirectly illuminated DOPPIO ring lights. | © SATTLER

 

Key facts

•    high ceilings
•    delicate architecture
•    emotional lighting effects
•    challenging installation heights

 

Historic banks & administrative buildings

Spiral staircase with metal railing and view upwards into an open-plan office with acoustic baffles on the ceiling. | © Constantin Meyer | Reichel Architekten

 

Key facts

•    representative spaces

•    modern workspaces in existing buildings
•    integration of new technology

 

Old buildings & listed buildings

The historic room of the St Thomas Choir (Villa Thomana Chamber Music Hall, Leipzig) features herringbone parquet flooring, ornate antique stained-glass windows, green walls and stucco elements on the ceilings. Suspended from the ceiling is a large square frame light, the PALADIO PRISM system light, which complements the shape of the room and the squares on the ceiling. | © W&V-Architekten

 

Key facts

•    minimal alterations
•    preservation of existing building fabric 
•    special ceiling conditions

 

 

Why is lighting particularly important in historic buildings?

New auditorium lighting
A hall in the historic Besenbinderhof building in Hamburg, featuring rows of purple chairs; suspended from the stuccoed vaulted ceiling, two sets of two large CIRCOLO ring lights are arranged one above the other along the length of the room, resembling a small, modern chandelier. | © Michael Voit
  • Architect icon architektur sievert/ leister part mbb / light planning: revoluce licht
  • Icon: Image credit/photographer – copyright information for image Michael Voit
  • Icon: Products used in image – link to product details CIRCOLO | CIRCOLO
CIRCOLO ring light ensemble sets the stucco rosette in the spotlight | © Michael Voit
  • Architect icon architektur sievert/ leister part mbb / light planning: revoluce licht
  • Icon: Image credit/photographer – copyright information for image Michael Voit
  • Icon: Products used in image – link to product details CIRCOLO | CIRCOLO
Old hall lighting
A mezzanine level with scaffolding extending into the room. Close to the vaulted ceiling, which is decorated with stucco rosettes. Simple cylindrical spotlights are fitted within the stucco rosettes.
A stucco rosette with a simple white cylindrical downlight.

 

Some of the roles of lighting in historic buildings:

 

 
  • •   Showcasing the architecture and interior design
  • •   Be designed to suit the building's intended use
  • •   For the benefit of visitors to the building
  • •   Drawing attention to specific features within the building
  • •   Can also serve as a design feature

 

Historical architecture thrives on its materials, proportions and atmosphere.

 

Light plays a key role in shaping how spaces are perceived.
Modern lighting in historic buildings must therefore be viewed in much broader terms than simply its function of providing light.

 

The key lies in the delicate interplay between:
•    lighting effects 
•    architecture 
•    heritage conservation 
•    visual tranquillity 
•    modern technology 
•    Energy efficiency

•    Ease of maintenance 

 

In historic buildings in particular, lighting must not dominate – it must complement the architecture.

 

Take advantage of SATTLER’s lighting design expertise

 

Our approach to lighting for historic buildings – preserving the fabric, reversible, architecturally sensitive

 

 

Lighting for historic buildings must be conceived with the architecture in mind, not based on a product catalogue. Our lighting concepts are characterised by:


•    Reversible fixings – without making permanent alterations to components
•    Bespoke lighting fixtures – tailored to style, material and proportions
•    Integration of modern LED technology into historic luminaire bodies – LED retrofits to a bespoke standard
•    Invisible technology, visible effect – the luminaire takes a back seat, the building takes centre stage
•    Warm light colours and high colour rendering (CRI ≥ 90) – for an authentic material effect
•    Low UV and IR emissions – to protect historic structures


We support projects involving listed buildings not only in terms of manufacturing but also in terms of lighting design, from the initial site visit right through to final acceptance.


"For us, light is not a consumable item, but an integral part of architecture." 

- Sven Sattler -

Find out more about our lighting company

 

Why not ask for some advice?

Do you have any questions about lighting in historic buildings? Please contact us for further information or a no-obligation consultation.

 

FAQ – Common challenges with historic buildings

Sattler Lighting Knowledge – explanations of lighting terminology & more

 

Making the most of and highlighting the architectural features of historic buildings

dark rooms, dark furniture
high ceilings
vaulted ceilings
Sloping ceilings
glass dome
wooden beams
stucco ceiling
Pillars

Examples of lighting solutions we have implemented:

High ceilings – suspension without loss of performance using pendant canopies

 

 

Special gold glaze

Chancel of a historic church with stone walls and pillars, wooden benches and golden, directly and indirectly illuminated DOPPIO ring lights.
Project example: Suspended ceiling installation in rooms with high ceilings | View the project: Evangelical Church, Westhofen

 

Highlight a stucco ceiling with indirect lighting

Bronze hall of the Bavarian Palace Administration in the Munich Residence, exhibition room with bronze sculptures on white pedestals, ANELLO ring pendant luminaires with integrated spotlights are suspended from the stucco ceiling with its vaulted structure, illuminating the exhibits and the room.
Project example: Stucco ceiling lighting in the Bronze Halls of the Munich Residenz

 

Highlight columns & use them to mount pendant lights

Golden large-format ring lights, CIRCOLO I, suspended around the columns of the glazed atrium with blue walls of the Hanseforum Hamburg.
Project example: Column lighting and suspension system at the Hanseforum in Hamburg

 

Further project reports

Author: Lydia Lange

+49 7161 9201930
export@sattler-lighting.com
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