UK - St Paul’s Cathedral Gardens in London have been revitalised with a carefully considered lighting scheme, featuring DarkSky Approved solutions that enhance safety and promote environmental sustainability while maintaining the site’s historic charm.
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century, St Paul’s Cathedral has been a central part of London’s cultural and historical heritage for centuries. Adjacent to the Cathedral, the Cathedral Gardens, which were created in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain, now serve as a hub for socialisation and relaxation. However, the outdated lighting in the gardens offered inadequate coverage and clashed with the historic architecture, detracting from the area’s overall appeal.
To address this, DW Windsor collaborated with the City of London to deliver an innovative lighting solution that complemented the Cathedral’s historic surroundings with modern energy-efficient lighting technology.
DW Windsor supplied 20 Pharola DS bollards featuring 2700K LED modules that provide warm, inviting illumination. With a slim, compact design and black finish, the new bollards blend seamlessly into the landscape. Additionally, nearby columns were fitted with Milano lanterns, ensuring a cohesive and elegant aesthetic throughout the space.
One of the key benefits of the new lighting scheme is that the upgraded bollards are DarkSky Approved, aligning with the City of London’s Lighting Strategy developed by Speirs Major. This strategy, published in 2018, provides a statutory set of guidance on best-practice lighting design for illuminating building exteriors and the public realm.
The new installation also addresses key environmental concerns. Whereas the old bollards consumed 32W each, the new bollards only use 20W, resulting in a 37.5% reduction in energy usage. The improved luminaire design also eliminates upward light, reducing light pollution. This improves the quality of the public realm and ensures an intelligent, sensitive approach to public lighting that prioritises safety and accessibility while protecting the historic character of the City.
Andy Rogers, M&E manager at City of London, remarked: “The lighting upgrade to St Paul’s Cathedral Gardens achieves a perfect balance between aesthetics, energy efficiency, and environmental impact. The DarkSky Approved solutions from DW Windsor have enhanced safety and accessibility in the gardens while respecting the historical significance of the space and helping to protect the night sky.”
