At 75m tall, Hallgrimskirkja Church in the centre of Reykjavik is the largest church in Iceland and one of the tallest buildings in the country. Its sweeping frontage and steeple dominate the skyline of the city both with its height and its dramatic architecture. The design is the work of state architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, who was inspired by the crystalline structures of the basalt rock that is so prevalent in this volcanic country.
First commissioned in 1937, the edifice took 41 years to build with the iconic spire completed in 1974. On 16 January 2020, Hallgrimskirkja formed the stunning backdrop for the celebrations marking the centenary of the Icelandic Midwives Community.
Icelandic full-service sales and rental company, Exton, was called upon to illuminate the huge façade of the church for the evening with a brilliant white light that would symbolise the bringing of new life into the world.
To achieve the required drama and brightness, Exton’s lighting designer, Erling Þorgrímson, chose 12 Wildsun K25-TC LED fixtures as the sole lighting fixtures for the project: “The WildSun units were the only ones capable of covering such a large expanse at the required intensity,” he said.
The Wildsun K25-TC were placed at ground level approximately 20m from the front of the church, from where they were able to wash the full length and breadth of the tower and wings with a brilliance that could be seen across the city.
“The power of the Wildsun K25-TC is unprecedented compared to other brands,” confirmed Exton’s technical Sales manager, Vignir Hreinsson. “We were able to supply our clients with a fixture that delivers a massive amount of light with a zoom that no other brand can match. WildSun K25-TCs are very specific fixtures with a defined kelvin colour temperature and we have also used them successfully in productions at our City Theater. On all occasions they have been extremely reliable and without any issues what so ever.
“Ayrton is the only brand that could supply us with this kind of luminaire. Today, with Ayrton’s fabulous line-up of fixtures, we feel very lucky to have them in our inventory and they definitely help us win projects in Iceland.”
