Grace Church of Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn, NY | 2014
Grace Church underwent an extensive restoration and renovation in 2013-2014, during which a brilliant blue, star-patterned ceiling was discovered beneath a drab, non-historic, brown finish. The celestial ceiling, with over one thousand eight-pointed stars in gold, yellow and red, is seen through a canopy of wooden trusses and strap work representing a forest. The lighting program amplifies the dazzling painted ceiling, highlights distinctive architectural features and increases usable light levels for the aging congregation in the pews below. A secondary layer of light was created with new pendant luminaires, which recreated the historic church chandeliers using contemporary technology. Together, the track system and pendants create a rich, textured environment for the Church’s revitalized interior that is both energy-efficient and maintenance-friendly.