A dark chapel and a new imagined courtyard with curved seating
In 2024, Santa Maria College finished a refurbishment of its 1970s chapel and the courtyard outside it.
Williams Ross Architects designed the project, and Baxter Projects built it. Visitors enter the chapel at Santa Maria College every day. Staff, students and guests gather there for everything from quiet reflection to school ceremonies. But the existing lighting did not give the room enough illumination. And the fittings did not suit the direction the school renovation was headed in.
The brief for the chapel asked for warm, even light from streamlined linear fittings. And the emergency and exit luminaires had to meet compliance. The downlights inside the chapel also needed a custom colour finish. The architects had specified a palette, and the standard product finish did not match it. Outside, the courtyard had curved stone retaining walls. Each tier was engraved with the school’s values. And the designers envisioned striplighting to curve at the base of each tier.
Planned, simulated, manufactured and delivered so the electrician could get straight to work
The Industralight team received plans and drawings that thoughtfully outline the project. From products to process, we respected the architecture and design at every step. Some existing fixtures were to stay, like the suspended 8 luminaire pendant. Whereas the contractors wanted to replace old downlights.
We supplied our recommendations, data sheets and technical information. Then our engineers and visualisation consultants continued with 3D modelling and lighting simulations. This was important for the interior and exterior spaces to ensure illumination levels. The modelling showed:
- How light would fall across the chapel from the primary suspended linear lighting
- Where the striplight illumination would land from the base of the engraved stone seating tiers
- How the sculpture would be seen from the four different angles with spotlights
In the model, the chapel features two new linear lengths, spanning the length of the room. The exterior seating showcased striplighting curved to the base of each tiered step. And spike spotlights would illuminate the statue in the grounds from all four sides.
On approval, our production team moved into manufacturing and customisation. Some of the downlights needed refinishing with the trim in black and the inner baffle in matt gold. And our team created custom lengths of the flexible strip so the contractors could install them easily. No cutting or modifications means a quick install and no on-site problems. Every luminaire left Industralight prepared and configured to spec, ready for the contractors.
Products in this project
Glowing curved seating, inviting its congregation to a renovated 1970’s chapel
The upgraded chapel with suspended linear lighting has proper illumination. Coupled with the existing 70’s pendant, the entire space is filled with warm, bright light. The black linear spans the 12m space on either side. And the emergency and exit fittings adhere to modern safety standards. The refinished downlights suit the space and add additional task lighting.
Outside, the exterior garden lighting changes how the courtyard reads after dusk. The curved stone retaining walls now float above a soft glow. The flexible linear luminaires follow each curve without a break, lighting up the engraved school values. The custom lengths hold the form of the wall from end to end with no joins or dim patches. And the sculpture at the centre of the courtyard also draws the eye after dark. The weatherproof spike-mounted exterior spotlights point at all four faces.
Getting involved early made the difference. The 3D simulations sorted out the details before installation started. And our in-house production meant the electricians didn’t need any modifications on site. Every product arrived in the right finish, at the right length, to the right spec.
