St. John the Evangelist Church has been at the center of the Winthrop community for over 100 years. In the daytime, the bell tower is visible to the whole town; however, until recently, the church at night time was all but invisible.

As a result, the Church required an exterior lighting solution that would highlight the architectural features of the building without causing any spillover effects on the neighbouring residential community.

The Lumenpulse solution included Lumenfacade (3000K) fixtures mounted at the top of the bell tower to highlight the white granite detailing, while warm white Lumenfacade (2700K) fixtures were added to the base of the tower and between the three doorways to graze the 75 ft (23m) wall with a narrow beam that reveals the texture and detail of the brickwork.

Requiring only a 4-inch set-back from the wall, the Lumenfacade fixtures were able to blend in with the architecture and remain discreet. The fixture’s flat lens and narrowly focussed beam prevent light spill, reducing the impact on the surrounding habitat.

Not only does the Lumenpulse solution respect the architectural integrity of the building, it also dramatically reduced energy consumption by using only 441 watts, which is approximately 75% less energy than traditional sources. And, thanks to Lumenpulse's dual chamber technology, the entire lighting solution can be easily accessed and maintained on site providing the church with the benefit of a fully sustainable lighting solution.

The entire installation was completed in one day.

Lighting design was conceived by Paul Marks, in collaboration with Boston Light Source.

"One of the advantages of using the Lumenpulse luminaires was that they were compact enough to be placed in the necessary locations without being intrusive," explained Marks. "And they blend into the architecture, while still packing enough punch to illuminate the building well."

Equipment Specified
 12 x Lumenfacade™, 12”, 3000K, on the top of the bell tower.
 8 x Lumenfacade™, 12”, 2700K, mounted at the base of the bell tower.
 4 x Lumenfacade™, 24”, 2700K, mounted between the doorways.


Lighting Design: Paul Marks
Photography by Paul Marks