Thursday, January 15, 2015

What Role Does A Church Stage Lighting Design?

By Enid Hinton


Light is an important part of any type of architecture. A form is designed to be experienced in light. It is the brightness that brings out the beauty of a building. In the same way a building that shines less is almost inhabitable. Church stage lighting design best expresses the aesthetics and essential role of gleam in architecture.

A house of God is no ordinary building. It is built symbolically, whereby each of its structure is used to represent something. It is a social hub that gathers people thus the space is designed for masses. The function of a church is to gather people for worship and link them to their creator and aid in other religious functions.

The stage is an important spot in the house of worship. It is where the leaders seats and where the congregation faces. All functions inside it are centered at the stage. As a designer of the space, or the architect, one is prompted to give it the attention and prominence it deserves.

The lighting in a worshiping place is the most integral part of its architecture. It is an abstraction to a higher power. It represents a supreme being. As the bible says that Jesus is the light of the world, most of the designs for the house of worship will tend to emphasize this statement.

Brightness in a house of worship expresses how the platform will appear to the people inside. The walls in the house of worship can only change the space but not the form. Hence, a glowing church makes people perceive that they are close to God.

The design in the house of worship strives to have the following outcomes. One is the beauty. The stage should be in a way that it is spacious and attracts the eyes of the congregation. A large space means better freedom of either leaders or choir members to perform their duties. Moreover, it makes the house of God brighter and lively.

Secondly, they should still consider that too much brightness maybe harmful to the users of the space. It makes people not able to clearly distinguish objects around them. One cannot even read the bible at such a point. It will cause visual discomfort and can even harm the eyesight of the people.

Third is efficiency. The light employed should not be costly. It is advised to use energy saving sources or renewable ones like solar to cut on cost. This is especially during the night hours when there is not enough illumination to penetrate the church.

The architecture of a church must call people into meditation. It must transform the form from being just a space but a conscious phenomenon. As we design we cannot calculate the emotional response of the users of the space. The ability of a building to inspire too remains untold, but can only be a result. So as to draw the emotive power of the space one must create a conflict between the forms geometry and the space. In a church design, it is not the people we are designing for but God.




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