Lighting of the Church in Honour of Saint Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

A church is a sacred space where individuals experience a religious encounter. Church architecture has an ancient history and established canons, setting it apart from secular buildings. Lighting in a church is also governed by tradition, yet for maximum expressiveness, alternative forms can and should be used without altering the essence. Church architecture interacts with natural light, and when designing artificial lighting, it is essential to consider the effects created by sunlight. The purpose of lighting in a church is to influence a person’s spiritual state through aesthetic sensations. This article presents an analysis of natural lighting in the Church of Saint Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, which is currently unbuilt, calculated through computer modelling using the DIALux.evo software. Quantitative illumination measurements and the effects of light within the space at different times of the year and day during services were studied. A project for an artificial lighting system is presented, which supports the spatial hierarchy within the church, provides sufficient illumination for safe visual tasks performed by church staff, and affects the psycho-emotional state of parishioners.