The Church of St. George in Braida can be thought of as a miniature art gallery, given the quantity and value of the works of art contained in it. 

The task was to renew the existing lighting system, now obsolete, extremely expensive to operate and that did not adequately illuminate the paintings. PERFORMANCE IN LIGHTING created a lighting project developed according to two guidelines: one, to give new life to works of art, and the other the utilisation of spaces to contain the operating costs. 

To meet these unique needs, the company provided customised solutions such as the FOCUS+ series architectural floodlights used with special-version LEDs in both 2,700K warm tone and the Ra>90 colour rendering that faithfully represents the colours; avoiding ultraviolet and infrared emissions, thus protecting precious works over time. To make the fixtures even less visible, they have been finished in an RAL 1013 matte colour.


Light for art

Following the original lighting concept starting with the lower presbytery, the "Martyr of St. George" by Paolo Veronese becomes the focal point and creates a path of light that guides the visitor to discover the entirety of the works. 

The two large canvases on either side of the altar (8x7.5 m), the "Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes" and "The Fall of Manna in the Desert" are effectively illuminated, with bands of light crossed above the choir that do not disturb the observer and do not create areas of shadow. FOCUS+ 3 floodlights with anti-glare shield have been provided in a customised version with special elliptical optics, to achieve a perfect uniformity of illumination on the canvases (150 lux).

On the sides of the nave there are chapels containing important paintings, here focal points have been illuminated with FOCUS+ 1 floodlights with lighting values close to 110 lux; in each of these the positioning of the light sources was carefully studied in order to avoid areas of shadow and observe the works without glare.

The last carefully planned lighting intervention is near the entrance where two FOCUS+ 3s with medium roto-symmetric optics are aimed at the "Baptism of Christ" by Tintoretto. 

 
Light for architecture

In the nave FOCUS+ 3s with medium roto-symmetric optics are utilized for general lighting. The interior of the dome is illuminated with four FOCUS+ 3 floodlights with upward-oriented asymmetric optics. In the drum, four groups of three-light windows are illuminated with FOCUS+ 1 fixtures with elliptical optics that define the tracery. GUELL 2 projectors with intensively concentrated 3,000 K optics illuminate the floor paving below, a unique jewel of its type. 

 
Sustainable light

With the aim of preserving the structure and protecting the masterpieces, the existing electrical system has been preserved, increasing the number of products used but, with the energy savings guaranteed by LEDs, the total energy consumption has decreased. The entirety of this masterpiece consumes less than 3 Kw of electricity.


CUSTOMER: Diocesi di Verona

ARCHITECT / DESIGNER: Michele Sanmicheli

LIGHTING DESIGNER: PERFORMANCE iN LIGHTING

PHOTOGRAPHER: Renato Begnoni