Header: Tõnu Tunnel and Martin Siplane
The lighting project for the Cathedral of Tartu, designed by Light-to-Light, is a recent LIT Lighting Design Awards winner based on the concept of “dawn and dusk”, which draws inspiration from the natural variations in northern sky light between sunset and sunrise. The design highlights seasonal changes in light and emphasises the interplay of light and shadow on the cathedral’s structure, a clear reference to the Estonian tale “Koit ja Hämarik”, a story about the meeting of daylight and night, which holds cultural significance in Estonia and symbolises the continuous cycle of light and darkness.
Curated lighting design
The lighting design replicates the warm glow seen on the cathedral at dusk, extending this effect over a longer period of time. Warm light starts at the structure’s base and gradually transitions toward a reddish hue at the top, creating a smooth, continuous gradient controlled through a DMX system. The system automatically adjusts the timing of these transitions from sunset to sunrise according to the duration of the night, maintaining a natural rhythm that aligns itself with the changing length of night throughout the year.
A special feature of the installation is an interactive moment during the night, where visitors can observe their shadows moving and changing color. Custom projectors that blend warm white, amber, and red lights create this effect, but they can also be used for special events, including displaying the colors of the Estonian flag.
Sustainability and preservation
The primary challenge of this project was to create a lighting solution that preserves the integrity of the historical building while minimizing its environmental impact. To achieve this, the installation was designed to be discreet, avoiding any physical impact on the cathedral’s brickwork, so all fixtures are hidden from public view, reusable, and easy to dismantle for maintenance.
Custom-made brackets and fixations were developed to secure the lighting fixtures without affecting the cathedral’s structure, all of which were specially designed to withstand harsh Nordic weather conditions. No additional lighting poles were installed around the site to preserve the park’s natural landscape; instead, existing public lighting was adapted to better fit the new installation.
Special attention was also given to preventing light pollution and protecting the surrounding environment, so the warm lights were selected for their ability to complement the cathedral’s materials without being intense. To ensure the fixtures’ efficiency, a control system tunes the light intensity, which gradually decreases throughout the night to further reduce energy usage.
But the cathedral’s location, a dark park with little ambient light, allows such a low-light contrast, as not much is needed to make the building stand out. Furthermore, the red hues of the light do not disrupt the wildlife that surrounds the cathedral.
