St. Raphael Catholic Church Renovation

Project Overview

Unilamp delivered indirect architectural lighting solution for St. Raphael Catholic Church, supporting a major renovation that aimed to revive a long-standing religious landmark while preserving its original architectural identity in Thailand.

Located in Pak Nam, Samut Prakan, the church has served a riverside Christian community for more than 100 years. Originally built as a bamboo structure, it was reconstructed in reinforced concrete in 1979, featuring a distinctive triangular plan and a parabolic concrete roof inspired by the form of a ship facing the sea. This form reflects both the site’s riverside context and the spiritual idea of faith as a journey.

The most recent renovation phase, completed between 2021 and 2022, focused on improving usability, safety, and accessibility particularly for elderly users while respecting the original structure. JUTI Architects led architectural and interior works, with Unilamp supporting the project through lighting design development, calculation, and technical coordination.

The Challenge

Renovating a religious and heritage building presents challenges that extend beyond standard architectural upgrades. At St. Raphael Catholic Church, the design team needed to enhance the spatial experience without compromising the original concrete structure or its symbolic form.

Key challenges included:

• Preserving the parabolic concrete roof and ship-inspired geometry
• Avoiding visible luminaires, conduits, and building services
• Delivering sufficient illumination using indirect lighting only
• Controlling glare and shadows in a tall, multi-level interior
• Ensuring safety and visual comfort for elderly users
• Working within the limitations of an existing conservation structure, with no drilling into original concrete

The lighting needed to feel calm, soft, and respectful, while still meeting functional requirements for daily use and worship.

The Solution

Unilamp worked closely with the design team to develop a fully indirect lighting strategy that enhances the architecture rather than competing with it. All luminaires were carefully concealed and positioned to reflect light off the concrete roof and architectural surfaces.

The lighting concept was aligned with the architectural idea “Sail of Faith,” which interprets the building as a vessel carrying belief forward. Light was used to visually lighten the heavy concrete structure, creating the impression that the roof and upper forms float gently above space.

The solution focused on:

• Indirect lighting to emphasize form, depth, and structure
• Concealed luminaires to maintain a clean, uncluttered interior
• Careful on-site adjustment to manage shadows caused by curved geometry
• Glare control to support comfort and safety across both floors
• Close coordination with architects and engineers to integrate lighting with all building systems

This approach ensured that lighting supports both architectural expression and long-term usability.

Lighting Design Approach

For conservation architecture, lighting must highlight what already exists rather than impose new visual elements. At St. Raphael Catholic Church, the lighting design prioritized the building itself as the main subject.

Key principles applied:

• Emphasizing the original structure and roof geometry
• Avoiding excessive brightness or decorative effects
• Testing lighting performance on site to evaluate real user experience
• Ensuring that light does not cause discomfort, glare, or visual fatigue
• Concealing all cables and fixtures using non-invasive methods

Instead of drilling into the original structure, new routing and protective elements were designed to hide services discreetly, maintaining the integrity of the historic building.

Project Outcomes

Following completion and testing, the renovated church quickly became a renewed focal point for the local community. Parishioners and residents who had followed the renovation over several years began returning to visit, pray, and spend time in the space.

The completed lighting achieved:

• A calm and respectful atmosphere suitable for worship
• Improved visibility and safety, especially on stairs and circulation areas
• Renewed appreciation of the original architectural form
• A stronger emotional connection between the building and its community

Even non-Christian residents expressed pride in the church as a local landmark, frequently stopping to take photographs and share the space.

Why Unilamp

For public and religious buildings, lighting reliability and longevity are critical. The design team selected Unilamp based on confidence in product durability, technical support, and experience with indirect architectural lighting.

Key strengths highlighted during the project include:

• Reliable luminaires suitable for long-term use
• Ability to support complex indirect lighting concepts
• Technical collaboration during design and on-site installation
• Consistent lighting quality for both daytime and nighttime conditions

This reliability was essential in delivering a solution that balances architectural respect, functional performance, and long-term maintenance considerations.

Technical Learnings from the Project

• Indirect lighting requires close coordination between design, calculation, and on-site testing
• Curved and complex concrete forms can create unexpected shadows that must be resolved during installation
• Glare control is essential in religious and public spaces, especially for elderly users
• Conservation projects benefit from non-invasive lighting integration methods
• Lighting should support architecture emotionally, not only functionally

Project Reference

Project: St. Raphael Catholic Church
Location: Pak Nam, Samut Prakan, Thailand
Architect & Interior Design: JUTI Architects
Lighting Design & Support: Unilamp
Project Type: Holistic lighting
Author: Unilamp Team

For more project references and lighting solutions, please visit www.unilamp.co.th or contact online@unilamp.co.th