Christ Church Greenwich, Greenwich, CT

Since the construction of its first chapel in 1749, Christ Church Greenwich has served generations as a holy place of worship. However, the facilities, built in 1910, had deteriorated aesthetically and functionally. In 2015, the Rambusch firm joined with eleven other experts to undertake an historic renovation.

A major project goal was to give more coherence to the existing structures, choir stalls and reredos. Lighting was critical to this endeavor but the 1931 system was not serviceable for a 21st Century church. Rambusch began with a design assist process leading to on site mockups to demonstrate the effects of a number of possible illumination strategies, including variations in color temperature.

Ceiling surfaces were cleaned and shellacked with red, blue, and gold accents articulating the arches to provide depth and openness. Highlights and hidden splendors revealed themselves, raising eyes and souls to bring more meaning to the congregation’s experience.

The 1938 Rambusch lanterns became the touchstone for the entire lighting upgrade. These were retrofitted with LED technology to produce downlight for the congregation, with interior glow for historical ambiance and LED uplight bowls were added to the lantern chains to illuminate the newly restored ceiling. Additional downlighting was installed within the nave.

LED illuminators now brighten the aisles, and accents help focus eyes upon the sanctuary and side areas. The deep tones and shields of the restored reredos now step forward, making the entire chancel glow. A flexible Lutron dimming panel integrates old and new fixtures into one cohesive system. The entire space meets the congregation’s needs across all seasons, for all celebrations.

This has been a major historic makeover befitting the rich history of this significant religious and cultural center. The project has truly achieved its lofty aims.

“Christ Church Greenwich will be good for another 75-100 years.”
— The Reverend Dr. James B. Lemler, Rector