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Ancient and Modern Mingle in U.S. Hindu Temple
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Lilburn, Ga.
By Craig DiLouie, contributing writer
Challenge:
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Lilburn, Ga., is a 30,000-sq.-ft. Hindu temple that successfully marries ancient and modern architectural practices.
Inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu socio-spiritual organization, temple designers Bharat Patel and Sanjay Parikh of the institution's Architect Division, designed the building in the traditional Naagri style common to 8th- to 10th-century India. The Mandir is currently the largest Hindu temple outside of India, standing as a symbol of India's rich culture and heritage. More than 34,000 stone pieces, hand-carved by some 1,500 stoneworkers at 26 sites in India over nearly a year and a half, were shipped to the construction site and assembled according to religious instructions.
Stone was the primary construction material—more than 117,000 cu. ft. of it, in fact—including nearly 12,000 tons of Italian marble, Indian pink sandstone and Turkish limestone.
To illuminate this impressive edifice, BAPS Southeast Development Inc. engaged Stone Mountain Media (S2M) to develop a lighting concept that could meet the disparate challenges of the project.
Specifically, electrical engineers Manish Patel, Pankaj Patel, Pinesh Amin and Kiron Patel of worked with Paul Creasy, president and Chad Kuney, project manager of S2M. Their primary challenge: Conceal the light sources in the building according to religious dictate while properly lighting highly ornate architecture, intricate images and figurines, and decorative features such as domes, ceilings, pillars and archways. In addition, the lighting had to be long-lasting, minimize maintenance, operate efficiency, enable control by a single system operator, and be able to produce a broad palette of colors to match the various Indian festivals observed throughout the year.
"The Mandir and surrounding structures could not be redesigned to accommodate the lighting fixtures—rather the lighting fixtures had to be designed to fit within the existing structure and specifications," says Creasy. "This equated to the need for very flexible fixtures that could fit into very small spaces."
These requirements led the design team to LEDs as a source technology and the specification of more than 2,000 custom LED fixtures, primarily North Star Lighting's RAF Series recessed step lights, recessed column lights and floodlights customized for the job and operating with Lamina Atlas and Titan high-output LEDs.
These fixtures were placed in a layered interior lighting design with the primary goals being to supply proper task lighting for worship while providing focal illumination to key features such as idols and architectural details. Every effort was made to ensure the lighting provides the desired aesthetic enhancement and functionality without being seen. In some cases, this entailed customizing fixtures by making them even smaller and designing flush-to-grade enclosures. In other cases, it required custom-carving niches into the architecture to hold fixtures and carving wire-run channels through stone that was at times up to a foot deep.
Special lighting columns were designed to hold some of the LED fixtures. Custom color-changing LED uplights mounted in-grade at the base of each column shed illumination on the upper columns and ceiling coffers above. Color-changing fixtures are integrated into the upper portions of the columns to provide additional uplight, while accent fixtures mounted on top of the columns provide focal lighting on archways and intricate ceiling areas. White-light and color-changing LED sconces on the outside walls supply perimeter lighting, while custom white-light fixtures mounted within the carvings of the dome-shaped ceiling coffers provide additional general lighting and architectural detailing.
All of the LED fixtures are networked to a single point of control, a DMX control console; the control scheme enables the facility operator to flexibly select light levels and color effects as needed to enhance mood and experience and select colors based on desired mood and different religious days.
The exterior lighting is also divided into several layers, beginning with color-changing LED RGB wash uplighting on the Podium wall, a decorative stone wall that surrounds the Mandir. Long-throw color-changing fixtures provide wall washing on the lower Mandir wall. Additional LED lighting illuminates the inner wall at pedestrian level and provides functional illumination on the exterior walkway at night. Exterior decorative columns located at the entrances on this level are uplighted with color-changing and white-light LED fixtures to accent these features. Additional LED uplighting accents the roof spires and other roof elements to create a top layer on the Mandir. Finally, additional exterior LED lighting includes white-light step lights at the Grand Entrance, color-changing submersible fixtures in the reflecting pool, and color-changing wall washers and landscape "bullets" providing additional decorative accents.
"We wanted to go beyond successfully meeting the tough restraints by creating a lighting design that would make a dramatic statement and enrich the highly intricate and sculpted architecture," says Creasy.
"Through hard work and excellent collaboration, we achieved a centralized, efficient lighting design that brings out the elegance and artistry of the Mandir's architecture, while helping visitors feel divine energy as they walk through and experience each space," says Manish J. Patel, technical project engineer and administrator for Southeast Development Inc. Worshippers and visitors alike can visit the Mandir between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
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