HABO CHURCH – THE WOODEN CATHEDRAL

Habo church is a unique building: built entirely of wood and richly decorated with paintings covering walls and ceilings – and joinery winding through the church room. It is often described as a wooden cathedral and parts of the church stood here as early as the 12th century. Its current appearance dates back to 1723.

On behalf of the Church of Sweden in Habo, Fagerhult Sweden has replaced the previous halogen lighting with new spotlights. These discretely blend into the environment and displays the church's unique decorations well — and gives the startling room a soft and atmospheric lighting envirionment.

The building’s unique characteristics made the project a one-of-a-kind assignment with special requirements regarding building maintenance and product quality. The assignment included finding a suitable light level that puts the church in the light it deserves — and enhancing its essence and mystique. The luminaire give a slightly warmer temperature of 2700 K to create the right light for each specific venue.

Zkye 55 spotlight and Zkye 55 Eco are neat, discreet luminaires with narrow, medium, or wide light distribution. They have a diameter of 55 millimetres and are painted in specific colours, according to the Jönköping County Administrative Board’s guidelines, to harmonise with the interior environment. No extensive installations were required as existing wiring could be used. As the LED luminaires do not emit heat or UV light the paintings and the church’s wooden structure are not harmed.

The church’s activities follow annual holidays and life’s milestones. It is also a well-visited tourist destination, and the church welcomes guests from all over the world. The new wireless lighting control (e-Sense Stage) adapts the lighting easily for every occasion: it creates scenes for church services, weddings, funerals, and ordinary days with visiting guests. These are currently grouped and programmed for five general lighting scenarios.

The luminaires’ high efficiency provides the right amount of light and reduces energy consumption, which is a long-term benefit.